Hunting Jasper
by Elizabeth-Jasper
Summary: The Shadows are Savants everyone wants but no one can catch. They're elusive and lethal. In Jasper's life there are only two things that come above all else. Get the job done and never get caught. But she breaks the most important things in her life when her target becomes more than a job and life becomes more than the hunt she lives. Catch me if you can... No original Soulfinders.
1. Prologue

"Jasper!" Eris yelled. "Come on!" The 17-year-old with her hair in a Heidi braid walking up to the car with a blue slushie in hand and a strawberry flavoured lollipop in the other. The Gold Volvo v40; was parked between two warehouses in downtown Manhattan. The sky was dark blue, a few stars and the odd plane. Sirens sang through the streets.

"Did you get us anything?" Chase called, pushing off the car. The 23-year-old and the eldest of all of us was a sky-scraping 6 foot 7. Dirty blonde hair spiked up with gel as hard as concrete. He had brown eyes like his sister, Eris. And looks that could kill. His leather jacket over his muscular frame. Eris was 5 foot 6. I was halfway between the both of them.

"No," She scoffed, sucking more slushie, turning her mouth and lips blue.

"Why not?" Chase asked, looking at the car judging it.

"Hey, I took out the power! It's tiring." She called the lollipop held between her teeth, stirring the slushie.

"Right," I laughed, climbing the levels of the iron fire escape. The black paint peeling and the steel freezing my hands turning them white. I stopped on the last level before the floor. Chase had spent the entire time inspecting the car, he'd moved round to the other side, standing a few meters from the car. "Chase..."

"RUN!" I swung around the black staircase, fast enough my hair momentarily blocked my view, sticking the lip-gloss on my lips as I crouched behind the stairs just milliseconds before the car exploded into a downpour of embers and debris.

I heard Eris screaming. No noise from Chase. The crackling of the fire. And ringing in my ears. The force knocked my head into the sharp railings. I felt a small trickle of blood drip down my face. I stood up. Flaming debris was everywhere. The fire raging. Popping. All the glass.

I looked at Chase. He was slumped against the wall. Eris shaking on the floor covered in blood, screaming as she tried to crawl away from the fire. Her arms were red with blood and still violently shaking, racked with sobs and screams. I ran down the last flight of stairs and jumped to the ladder slipping on the first bar. I climbed carefully.

Another explosion came from the engine, throwing me off the ladder. I rolled down the alley, through the grimy puddles reflecting the moon. My ears were ringing, I could hear nothing else. I could see the fire through my blurred vision. Dancing in the shadows of the night.

My name is Jasper. I'm a Shadow. And I'm a Savant Assassin.


	2. Chapter 1

**So hey guys, first of all I want to dedicate this chapter to spartacus1997 and Sevenofdiamonds7 for their great reviews! **

**I'm not sure if I will be including Sky, Phoenix and Crystal in this story(ies) tell me what you think!**

**Okay here goes. Hope you love it. **

**EJ x**

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The sirens. Fast speed. Blood. The lights.

"Charge! CLEAR!"

Just a blur. The highway drone. Speeding through the streets.

_BANG! _A flashback I didn't need right now. _GET DOWN! _I could still feel the heat on my face. The shattering of glass.

"Faster!" The paramedic ordered.

"CHASE!" The echo of his name being screamed. My scream. "ERIS!"

I jolted as the ambulance stopped. "Go!" The doors fling open and Chase was already out the back.

I walked through the automatic doors, following the gurney. The impact of hospital emotions hit me, words, talking. Noise. So much. "MOVE! OUT OF THE WAY!" Someone ordered. I had to get my composure back. I thought, stumbling out of the way of the second Gurney from the second ambulance. My hand brushed Eris's briefly. The cold hospital air pinched at by bare skin, the light hurt my eyes, and the thought that so many unknown people had the upper hand here.

"What have we got?" A Hispanic doctor asked. he was tall, and I hate to say it, drop dead friggin' gorgeous.

_Get a grip, Jazz! Your family has been hit. _My conscience has a mind of his own and only uses that mind to insult me. Not give me my moral right or wrong like it's suppose too.

"Two bomb blast victims, male 23 and female 19..." They rushed off down the hallway with Eris.

Someone yelled. A horde of people rushed around, doctors, nurses , assistants, pushing carts and machinery. All were hovering around the patient, frantic, high pitched voices. My patient. Chase.

"Young lady, come with me." A nurse took my arm.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The noises form the machines bounced in my head. Echoing. I opened my eyes. The harsh white light of the hospital blinding. The trauma large room. cramped with machines, wires, bags of liquids. Blue colored walls. Lit by the long, white, fluorescent light bulbs. A heavy smell of antiseptic in the air. A TV droned on in the background, adding to the orchestra of noises already present from the beeps from medical equipment, the sound of doctors and nurses being paged on the P.A system in the echoing hallway that I was paying not attention to. I pushed off the uncomfortable chair, the metal frame freezing cold in my sweaty palms.

I reached the door in a few steps. Wrapping my hand around the steel, I pushed it closed. Dimming the sound to just the hum of machines and the TV. I turned leaning against the door. Looking at the two unconscious bodies on the beds. Chase's hand was drooped off the bed.

I flicked off the lights. I looked at my fingers lingering on the light switch. My hand bandaged up leaving on my fingers free. It was night again, and the New York skyline was glittering with lights in the deep blue sky. Street lamps cast an orange glow into the room. Cars arrived and departed. People talking below.

I took off the steri-strips that were on my head and sat back down in the chair between the two beds. We'd been here for a day and these two had been in and out of consciousness without really knowing it.

Chase a sprained wrist, one or two fractured back bones, one dislocated shoulder and a deflated lung. You know, the usual. He was topless, gauze wrapped around his chest. I felt my cheeks blush. Even though he was as close as my brother, seeing him topless was blush-worthy. I scooted over to Eris. Taking a wipe from my face wipes in my bag, I gently started wiping the blood from her mouth and nose. She looked so innocent. And peaceful. And dead. The machine monitoring her heart-rate was the only thing telling me she was still alive.

Eris had more exterior damage. Her arms, hands wrapped in bandages and face red and pink with bruises, burns and abrasions. A gash down her left cheek, there was damage to her mouth so now she had ceramic braces on her teeth. I chuckled. She always bragged how she didn't need braces because her teeth were perfectly straight when I'd had braces. My turn.

"How do we keep ending up in these situations?" I asked no one in particular. I sat back in the chair. Eris looked a little better.

_My name is Jasper. I'm a Shadow. And I'm a Savant Assassin. __My name is Jasper. I'm a Shadow. And I'm a Savant Assassin. _

Most of my life from the day I could talk till I was ten, that was all I could remember. From a young age I was a talker. Never stopped and often secrets came marching out of my mouth before I had a chance to shut up. My parents who were high up in the Agency had to get 'rid' of me. But they didn't want to kill me. Talk about tough love. So instead they had me locked up in an institute which was were I met Eris. A small girl that often sat in the shadows. But at ten, someone had looked over files. And seen the word 'Savant' come up in the reasons why I was locked up. Not because I am one, because I used to talk about being one. Skipping around the school grounds singing 'I'm Savant, which means I have superpowers!' and snap, everyone automatically thinks too much TV, until I became so persistent they suddenly realized, that I was crazy. Obviously. Because superpowers are too far fetched for that of the human mind.

The man took me away with Eris and her brother joined us a few months later. And from the word go he trained us to me lethal. In a warehouse somewhere in the middle of nowhere. He trained us in precision, reaction and murder. Amoung other things.

_My name is Jasper. I'm a Shadow. And I'm a Savant Assassin._

There was really nothing more to me. A few other details. A Savant. Savant. I often find if you repeat a word over and over it looses all meaning. And right now that word has caused nothing but trouble, so I'd wish being a Savant was something you could shrug away like being American.

But I can't. In either. I'm not American, I was born in Holland. So I'm Dutch.

And being a Savant means I can do things others can't. Humans can't. I was born with a gene that gives me the ability to do things, like communicate telepathically. Like lift things with telekinesis. Like an extra gear to a bike; shift to a car. But each Savant has a gift special to them.

Chase has the ability to overload a persons mind, causing pain, memory loss, coma, death. Psychic attack. Telepathic Torture. Another reason why we all have to maintain super strong shields, if Chase gets angry then his ability flares and we're all in a lot of pain. Although he could easily smash through shields, we make it harder for him.

He could also take more than a human, so his dislocated shoulder would just be a dead arm for a little while.

I touched Eris's deathly cold hand and closed my eyes. I pushed through my body, down my arm and into Eris. My eyes opened at the sound of her heartbeat getting stronger and Eris taking a deep breath.

"Am I dead?" Chase asked. My head snapped around to him.

"Almost. Why you're nearly dead? I don't know." I admitted.

"Because the Net hates us." Chase croaked.

"Does you head hurt?" I cooed, turning to him.

"No." He replied, shifting slight and then wincing.

I cuffed his head. "What about now?" I asked.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Ya idiot, you nearly got us killed _again!_" I sighed.

He gave me the look. "Says the person that nearly drowned us last week." I shrugged.

"I told you the risks."

"But I didn't blow up the car."

"No but you could have warned me!"

"I did," He defended. I towered over him.

"You told me to run." I reminded. "That's it."

"Sorry," He chuckled, hissing at the pain.

"Yea, buddy, ya should be!"

"How's Eris?" He asked as the door opened.

"Unconscious." The doctor informed. I felt my jaw drop and my mouth dry at the was the Hispanic one.

_Close your mouth, Jasper. _Chase ordered.

"But recovering." The doctor smiled, walking over to Eris, Chase hit my arm. "Now how did you three, get injured by a bomb?"

"Aren't you a doctor?" I asked. Chase snorted. _  
_

"He looks to young to be a doctor." Chase muttered. _You look to old to act immature._

"Fast learner." The doctor chuckled. _I bet he is._

"Brings me no comfort." Chase said, shaking his head and getting comfortable. The doctor fiddled with the machines.

"Waa..." He jumped back. Chase looked behind me and I looked to the doctor who was recovering from a little shock. Eris's eyes were open. _Ha. Do you think she's awake?_

_No, I don't think so._

"Problem?" Chase asked.

"Nope." He went to brush her eyes closed but jumped back instead.

"Did she blink?" Chase asked. The doctor shook his head and rubbed his fingertips with the other hand. I laughed.

"Electric shock?" I chuckled, he nodded. "She's always been kinda sparky."

He turned to us, a charming smile on his face. "I'm a Junior doctor,"

"We'd like a senior doctor." Chase informed watching the doctor closely. He laughed.

"Why'd you ask Miss...?" He gestured.

I didn't inform him of my name. "You were asking questions, Mr..." I smiled politely.

"Benedict, Xav." He smiled back.

"Xav?" I asked. "As in Xavier?" He nodded. Chase and I exchanged looks.

"I need your names." He announced.

"You do?" I asked. _Eris, if you've ever been helpful, please be helpful now!_

"Yes a little case of insurance." He laughed. Eris sneeze dramatically and all her machines went _pop! _there was a small fizz before the hum of no more electricity. "Umm." Eris put on her best wide-eyed shock face. It turned to true shock when the lights went out as well. Chaos erupted in the corridors.

"IT'S OKAY, THE BACKUP GENERATOR WILL COME ON ANY SECOND!" Someone yelled in the corridor.

_Oopsy daisy, _Eris smiled in our heads. Out of all the words of all the languages she knows, she just caused a probably fatal disaster...and she says oopsy daisy.

The hospital came back to life a few seconds later. Eris, also a Savant. Power of electricity if you haven't already guessed. Her favorite thing to do it is bring the tips of her fingers together and get electricity running between her fingertips and then stretch out her hand very quickly, the electricity snaps and disappears; the noise sounds like the crack of a whip and gets annoying after a while. "Right, let me get...some people..." He said running out. I felt the energy change dramatically in the room.

"If I've just killed a load of people, that's on you!" Eris hissed at me. Chase chuckled beside me already making jokes and laughing a little harder.

I felt it like an ice cube down my spine. As though the room was calmer. Colder. My eyes narrowed on the direction 'Xav' had left in. I clicked my fingers and pointed at Eris. "When did you wake up?" I ordered, turning my head to look at her. She shrugged.

"Um... about five minutes ago." She replied. "Why?"

Yes indeed why? I thought. What had got me on the edge of my seat?

The doctor had a high energy. A strong energy.

_Too much red bull in his coffee? _My conscience suggested. No that would be physical energy. This is mental energy. Maybe he's doing one of those mind things, where they strengthen the spirit? No. I snorted. He has a problem with his ego.

"Jasper?" Chase asked.

My eyes snapped up to the door. "He said Xav Benedict...right?" I asked.

"Yea." Eris said absentmindedly as she was concentrated now on her braces.

I looked at Chase. "Oh," He said. "Oh god."

"What?" Eris asked.

"We've just come this close..." I held up my thumb and finger with about an inch in between. "...to one of the Benedict boys."

"Of the Net?!" Eris squeaked. Chase frowned at her. I pushed off my chair.

"I'll be back in a second." I called, walking out the door. From what I heard, Xav is the third youngest and the healer probably. Which means I have the upper hand. My gift?

Power over life-force. Or life energy. I can sense it, take it away, give it too you, manipulate it. All sorts. But I often rely on my physical attributes to help me out of a situation. My looks and my ability to kick butt unconscious.

What if Xav knew? Then he'd get his entire family out here along with half the net. He doesn't know we're the shadows. If he knows we're Savant's then we're just Savant's without names at the moment. I stopped at the corner of the nurses station. I could hear him on the phone.

"...just...I'm...Vick..." The after math of Eris's little 'oopsy-flippin-daisy' was still causing noise. I had to get closer. A heard of Junior doctors walked into the station. I walked confidently behind them. Casually as I can. I ducked into the room opposite the phone. The room was dark the only light from the open door. I crouched in the dark against the wall and listened. "...Vick, I got a feeling." He started tapping the tune with his foot. "NO, she didn't tell me their names and then one of them blew the electrics. I think it might them..." He paused. "There are three of them, one boy, two girls...yea...no...well if it is the Shadows..." He paused as another doctor came past. "...then they'll disappear very soon... I can try and keep them... okay. See you then..." He hung up the phone. He paused at the door. Looking in. But he walked off. I slipped out a few moments later and got back to our room quickly. Closing the door, I checked he wasn't inside before I started talking.

"We have to get out. He's sending for the rest of his family. He suspects we are the Shadows." I informed quickly. Chase had already gotten out of bed. I clapped my hand on his shoulder giving him a silent boost.

"Eris, get up we need to go." She detached the wires and pulled the IV out of her arm. She was still in the short sleeved blood-stained red top and dark jeans. Her boots and Chase's top were in the corner of the room on a chair. Chase was tying his shoelace. I stood watch by the door as Eris zipped up her boots that came just below her knee. She pulled the jeans over the boots and stood up, slipping on the leather jacket she always wore and the biker gloves that always accompanied the jacket.

Chase was in the near same. The jeans a little loser and he was all in black. Xav was coming up the hall. "He's coming." I hissed. Chase pulled open the window and climbed out onto the ledge.

Closer. Eris followed, slipping a little on the wet ledge.

He was almost at the door.

I went last Climbing out.

The door opened.

I shut the window and ducked out of sight.

"DAMMIT!" Slam.

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**Please review! xxx Sorry about any mistakes or mix up with names. DO you think I should keep Sky, Phee and Crystal? Or start new ones. Tell me what you think!**

**EJ x**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey there, quick note: Chase's power has been changed and mistakes in the previous chapter have been corrected, all those who were utterly confused by my bad writing skills I do apologize, Chase was originally called Jasper but I did a little switch-a-roony so hey monkeys. Any-doodles, hope you like this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Dedicated to Sarcastrophy (I do apologize if I have spelt this wrong) and xxx-benedictbrothersfan-xxx because I love you two as well.**

**Please bare with me, this is my first story and I'm still changing a few things around, at the moment it seems to be Chase's Savant Power, thank you to all those reading.**

**EJ x**

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We shuffled along the ledge carefully. Xavier had long since left the room. Probably searching the hospital or frantically calling his brothers. I looked out onto the car park, the city alive with lights behind that and the Hudson in the far distance. The waters dark and calm looking. But also flashed dangerous to anyone with a sense of safety. I enjoyed being in water it had a calming effect.

An adorable young girl with down Syndrome, clutching a caramel teddy to her chest, watched us. She had ribbons in her hair tying the two plaits and a purple ski coat with pink and blue circles. Her mother was rushing behind her, settling a smaller child in a pram.

My eyes suddenly drawn to the entrance a few meters in front of her. Xavier had run out. I gasped. The little girl saw me get Eris's attention.

"Benedict!" I hissed. Eris and Chase stopped. The girl drew a circle with her finger in the air and Xavier flipped over, landing on his back in the center of the road. She smiled, slicing her finger horizontally in the air, knocking him back to the road when he tried to get to his feet. She grinned at us. Eris waved at her, in awe of her cuteness. "Let's go." Her mother caught her, I felt bad thinking the girl, who didn't even know us was going to get into trouble but the mother smiled at her instead, tapping her nose and giving her a big squeeze.

"Aww, that's so..." Eris started.

"Eris, not now." She frowned at me and followed Chase around the side of the building. Chase had stopped and it was very easy to see what he was thinking.

It was quite a jump, from the ledge to the next building. It was two floors lower in height and a couple meters in between that building and the one we were currently standing on.

Eris leaped from the edge, diving over the gap, arms out to the side and forward rolling as she just reached the building, landing neatly on one knee, one foot both hands on the ground. She hissed, forgetting her hands were burnt beneath the bandages that covered most of her arm beneath the leather. She stood up and ran to the front looking for Xavier. Chase jumped like he was jumping over a puddle.

"He's coming!" Xavier ran between the two buildings. I jumped, flying above him. Bring my legs over to land on my feet. I smiled down at him. Blowing him a teasing kiss. I ran across the rooftop with Eris as Chase had already darted ahead, taking a different direction.

_Meet you back at the hotel, _Chase said.

_Yep. _We ran along the buildings passing some sort of security gate that Xav couldn't get passed in time to catch us.

I jumped form the building. Landing neatly, looking around for anyone. No one, just dumpsters. We were safe for now. Now disappeared very quickly. The sound of shoe to wet, gritty floor echoed through the alley. Xav skidded to a stop by the gate.

I looked up to Eris. She was facing forward, jumping off and back-flipping like a diver. I could never do it, I was always afraid I'd hit my head.

"Sorry, didn't know we gain points for style." I said sourly. She frowned at me. Xav getting out his phone.

"I like doing that." She shrugged. I shook my head. We ran down the dark, drippy and foul-smelling alley way, slowing for a second at the road and crossing into an even darker, even drippier, even smellier alley way. Fire escapes lined one side, skip dumps and trash lined the other. It was an obstacle course. There was shouting from the apartments above, howling dog's, cars running along wet roads. We crossed another road towards a park. Clambering up a brick wall onto a steep hill of trees and wilderness, I turned to pull Eris - who just scraped 5 foot 4 - up onto the hill but her underarms and checking we weren't being followed at the same time. With my eyes and using energy. He wasn't far, but he wasn't very close. Eris looked for a second before following me. We walked up the eerie and damp forest. Ivy covering the floor, the ivy leaves wet from earlier rain soaking through my jeans and onto my ankles and shins. I heard Eris slip behind me.

"Umf." She hurried back to her feet, nearly slipping again. Her front was wet now, her elbows very muddy from using them instead of her hands and sleeves a little dirty.

"It's those boots, the grip on the soles has worn out." I informed. She looked up at me. "You need knew ones."

"They're perfectly fine." She said walking past me. We reached the top, using trees to help us when it got steeper. The skyline of a city of skyscrapers still lit up like Christmas trees, stood not far past a few benches, cherub water fountain and rose beds. The hotel wasn't far. Rented by our keeper. He would be the man who trained us. Martin Gonzales.

We made it in record time. 3 minutes, 21 seconds. Nearly being run over a few times.

"You're back." Chase grinned, when we walked in. He checked his watched and nodded. Pursing his lips. "Record time."

"Put a sock in it Chase." I said.

"Why?" He laughed.

"If you don't she'll shove it down your throat instead." Eris smiled, leaning over the mini bar, reaching for the fridge. The hotel room was on a color theme of black and glassy blue, sophisticated colors.

The carpet was white and the floor to ceiling windows were tinted blue. The over head wood was painted black. There were some parts of the floor varnished wood instead of carpet. All the designer furniture had a big price tag, you could tell. A flat screen stood high on the wall in front of the circular sofa's and glass coffee table.

I walked into my room; one of three. Throwing my jacket on the méridienne. Each with king size beds and silky sheets. Big windows which floods of blue tinted light came threw each morning. My floor was wooden, the bed was low like a Japanese bed. Bedside table. Below the mattress and the black painted-wooden frame of the bed was a plastic border running around the whole thing which blue light also came through. It screamed money and sophistication.

I walked straight to the connected bathroom, reaching into the glass cubicle and turning on the water. I stripped off throwing the dirty clothes in the large white tub. Everything was shiny black granite, silver steel, glass or the white of the sink, tub and shower floor. The large vanity mirror hung above the sink opposite the shower. The hot water had steamed up the glass. The heat hits me, almost suffocating me. But the water hits my skin and all tension runs away with the water. I stand there, letting my muscles relax. I rolled my neck. I remembered the gauze around my wrist. Clenching my teeth and ignoring the pain, I yanked it off my wrist and flung it over the shower sides.

I found Eris on my bed doing headstands against the wall when I got out the shower. Using her elbows and wearing her glasses that belong in the nineties, although you could not see them from the black skirt of her dress was all in her face. She wore white shorts underneath and another par of just below the knee boots. She's 17; looks 15; acts 7. "What are you...?"

"AAHH!" She toppled off the bed, landing on the floor. Her glasses wonky on her battered face. She was lucky, the bruises were only red-pink, they hadn't gone purple or blue. But the cuts were still obvious.

"...doing?" I finished. She refocused her eyes and adjusted the glasses.

"Ow." She moaned, one of the cut dripping a little blood.

"Why are you wearing them?" I inquired, taking a tissue out of the box.

"I was reading small print." She informed. I held out my hand and pulled her to her feet. She jumped to a standstill, taking the tissue and dabbing her face.

"What have you had?" I asked, crossing to the closet.

"One of those mini bottles of sherbet, some Cotton candy and a handful of Candy corn." She smiled, flinging the glasses onto the bed. "I'm saving the lollipops for later." She nodded, tapping her boot. I laughed shaking my head. "Marty wants us to be dressed elegantly, says were meeting the target tonight."

"We?" I called, gripping the towel to my body with one hand whilst searching threw my closet with the other. Sometimes we had to get information from our marks before we...well, got rid of them.

_Sometimes I worry about you Jazz. _Honestly if anyone could read my mind, they'd think I'm a psychopath that has conversations with the voices in my head. Having the gift of life force mean't i could bring most things to life. Which obviously meant my conscience had an input and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Well, you as usual I have to sit with Greta and Marty. But this time Chase has to suffer with me." She laughed, clearly enjoying that fact. She rolled of the bed onto her feet and padded over to me. She elbowed me out of my closet. She folded her bandaged arms. She had changed into a short sleeved knee length black satin qipao with a silver flower design with the mandarin collar, straight lapel, strap buttons and slits up the sides. She elbowed me in the ribs. "OW!" The bandages ended a few inches above the elbow and looked like she was wearing white gloves.

"Marty, sent over a dress." She pointed behind me to the dress bag.

"Oh." Eris helped me get into it, explaining about how the restaurant we were going to was Chinese and Greta wanted her to look the part. But there was no way she was wearing the little slip on shoes.

Within a few minutes it was on. I was admiring myself in the mirror whilst Eris fumbled with the zip, trying to zip it up without hurting herself. It was strapless, shiny sea blue dress also sweeping the floor. There was a lighter blue sash tied around my midriff multiple times for design and black was over the top of the skirt.

"Done." Eris said. We looked at each other in the mirror. "Don't we look amazing!" She giggled, bumping my shoulder with her head.

"We sure do."

Chase politely knocked on the door. He smiled, in his three piece suit. "You girls look great, but we're leaving, so let's move." Eris growled and walked past him.

"Great?" She inquired. "Not amazing? Drop dead gorgeous?" He opened his mouth. "DON'T even say it!" She walked out. He turned to me.

"Shall we?" He asked.

"Yea let's go kill someone." I sighed, walking out after Eris.

"Normally you just say, 'we-shall' Jazz." Chase informed. I laughed.

"I'm not normal, Chase."

"No, you're really not."

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**Again thank you for baring with me. **

**If you haven't already read Spartacus1997's stories, they are amazing! **


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey there. So I've decided not to have the soulfinders from the original books, if you disagree please tell me. **

**So anyway here is my latest chapter. ENJOY!**

**EJ x**

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The lights of Manhattan rushed in a blur outside the window. I was alone, in the limousine. Chase, Eris, Greta and Martin followed a few cars behind. Greta practically shattered the eardrums of everyone on the sidewalk outside our hotel when she saw the state of Chase, and Eris in particular. The left side of her face still a palette of reds and pinks. Chase had sneaked his IPod into the limo and was more than likely drowning out the frowns and complaining from the females with his rock music. Martin was probably sitting there replaying the plan in his head.

This one had suddenly come up. Out of nowhere this guy we'd been searching for just popped up. I wasn't the only one thinking it was a coincidence especially when not only ourselves but a Benedict was in the same city. Chase was instantly on that fact and a gut feeling it was a set up. Martin being Martin took the gamble anyway and sent us in.

I'd never been nervous for a Job. Apart from my first few but this wasn't a simple capture and kill, I had to get his shields – should he be a Savant, which he was – weak enough for Greta to get into his head. Greta was a Savant, like a mind-reader but a little more, she can get into the deepest things you don't even remember. Martin is a shield, stopping all telepathic messages and what not.

But nerves could mean a very different outcome. I had to get my head straight, calm down and take control. To get him to lower his shields, I had to be smart.

Unfortunately the journey was over. The limo slowed to a halt outside an elegant restaurant. The Shan Lee. The door was opened by a man with a military stance. Smartly dressed in a black tailor suit. A fake Rolex on his wrist and a polished white name tag matching his pressed shirt. Myeong was engraved. He was Korean.

"Ma'am," He nodded. _My name is Jasper. I'm a shadow. And I'm a Savant Assassin. _"Ma'am?" Myeong questioned. I looked at, breathing composure back to my face. I smiled and bowed my head slightly in appreciation, taking his offered hand and getting out the limo. A light blue shawl matching the decor ribbon around my waist hung around my back and between my elbows, my hands in front both holding onto the blue fabric clutch bag with a gold frame. Before Greta had got her hands on Eris - her favorite live doll, she's done-up my hair to standards of an artwork. My normal blonde highlighted brown hair had been pinned up and tucked away beneath that of a rich dark red wig, spiraling down my back. I had to admit, the look worked. The dark blue and the red hair, with my eyes that matched the semi-precious green Jaspers. The stone I was named after. Another employee – Samuel – held open the door for me, once he'd finished undressing me with his eyes.

"Thank you." I said, smiling politely. He nodded.

A woman more talkative than the others greeted me. She was Chinese. "Hello, do you have a reservation?" She asked politely.

"Umm, yes I am meeting someone." I replied. _Jasper. Shadow. Assassin. Remember your job, the mark. Reason. _"A Mr Dalton." I replied. She checked the registry. And smiled up at me. "Of course, this way." She strutted along the red carpet and down the steady slope to the restaurant. There were no windows, a black and white theme and only dim artificial light. The clinking of glasses and scrapes of cutlery against China plates. Waiters were all over the place serving everyone from kids to the elderly. There was a party of men and women at the back and a family of nine in the back corner. The woman, petite and young, guided me down the aisle between the tables. I narrowly avoided being hit by some Chicken Chow Mein as a girl tried to control her chopsticks.

She smiled sheepishly. "Oopsey?" She shrugged her shoulders a little. I smiled and shook my hand, the small African-American girl smiled back.

"No worries." I replied. She turned back to her parents disapproving look. I continued to follow the woman. A man pressed his tie to his stomach, turning around and sidestepping out of into the aisle.

"Miss Morris?" He asked, running his eyes up and down my body as he turned around.

"Hi," I greeted, he kissed my cheeks.

"Lovely to meet you." He smiled, his eyes flicking to the back of the room as we sat.

"And you," I smiled with fake enthusiasm as the woman handed us the menus. I nodded a thank you, watching Chase, Greta, Martin and Eris walk in. Chase flirting with the young blonde, Greta and Martin acting the married couple they are with Eris walking like a sleep-walker still stuck in her daydreams behind them. They were seated toward the back of the room. Already arguing with each other.

"So, um, I'm really glad you accepted my offer to m-meet with me." He grinned, sliding the thick black rimmed glasses up his pale nose. He had a square face, dim blue eyes and greasy black hair. He was nervous. Maybe it was me?

'Or maybe he's more interested in the Savants behind you, because that's where his eyes kept flashing. Honestly, can't you feel them?'

Sometimes I loathe having the gift I do, I literally _do _have an annoying voice in my head.

'Yes, I can feel them' I replied. I should probably name my conscience. Martha maybe.

'Hate it'

'I hate you but I'm not moaning'

"Violet?" Mr Dalton snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Hmm?" I looked up at him. Violet Morris is my cover name.

'Maybe you should call me Violet' I had a violent urge to slap to slap myself. Instead I took the cup of water and held onto it.

"Sorry, I zoned out, you know things on my mind." I chuckled.

"I know exactly, you can just chill this evening." He laughed. His hand twitched, like he was debating to take my hand. He pushed back the greasy strands that had fallen into his face. "Sh-shall we order?" He asked. I nodded, sipping some of the water. I nodded.

"Sure." The gut feeling Chase had had, was now brewing in the pit of my bowels when his eyes kept flashing towards the back.

'The Savants are talking to him' my conscience informed. For once it gave me something useful, I'd felt something, sensed it.

_Guys, someone's talking to him. Telepathically. _I sent to the others; only now noticing Eris had gone from the table.

_Yea we guessed,_ Chase informed. But that's when I saw Chase start to panic as a Hispanic male wandered past us. Chase turned his back to me.

_Chase. _

Chase nodded when the guy had passed and got up, following him. Chase returned a few minutes later. There was awkward conversation; Mr Dalton or 'Tom' seemed more concentrated on his mind and behind us than our...date.

Two tall boys with dark looks, Hispanic skin and inky black hair walked past us. The one with a head full of thick curls shoved Mr Dalton's shoulder. Instead of yelling out, Mr Dalton coward away from them. Finally Eris came down the steps behind the back tables from the ladies, shoving between the two boys which was a big mistake. They must have felt something. Or recognized her. I smiled at Tom Dalton as we took our order. Something smashed and everyone swung to see. The boys running from the room. Chase was on his feet and two more Hispanic boys ran past.

_Greta, tell me you can get in? _I begged.

_Almost, Jazz. _I got up and stood behind the man, putting my hands on his chest. My skin was crawling and arms were tingling from the energy, I was draining. "What do you say...?" _Greta!? _"..That we head out?" My god this guy was nervous. This meant he knew who we were. Dalton's energy shot through the roof which meant Greta had gotten in.

_Done. Meet you back at the hotel. _Greta left. Martin waited; now blocking any messages from getting to us.

"Um...um..." He was shaking.

I groaned. "You bumbling idiot, in future accept a girls offer otherwise you'll be a virgin forever." I hissed, taking my clutch bag and opening it. I budged him with my hip, sitting on the very edge of the seat.

"I...I..."

"Tell me who is sitting in the corner." I ordered. I put my arm around the back of his shoulders, pulling him to the back of the chair. I pulled the syringe of potassium chloride. He was shaking.

"So you are the Shadows." He whimpered.

"Calm down," I said. "So you are with someone." He nodded. "Who?" His mouth wrapped around a 'B'. "Benedict?" I questioned, he gulped, looking towards the back. "Okay, great thank you." I stood up. He relaxed visible. I stabbed the needle into his back as I walked away. I think he started to cry as I walked away.

I'd learnt not to be affected by the emotions death brings. I find it the hardest to just forget. Chase is as hard as rock and Eris is a bit of a psychopath. But I'm still a little softy on the inside, despite my impenetrable exterior. I waltzed out the restaurant, just catching Dalton slump dead. The scream from a waitress sailed through the air as Martin and I walked out. I pulled the wig of my head and untied my hair.

"The hospital has been sorted," Martin started. "Jack and his boys went and got rid of any records of you lot. You should be more careful." He warned stuffing the wig into a brown paper bag. I had black clothing on underneath. Jeans already full on with the heels from earlier. I yanked the strapless dress over my head and handed it to Martin. I had a tank top on underneath and pulled the straps up from my sides onto my shoulders. All of my restaurant wear and Martin's dinner jacket and shirt were now in the bag which was surprisingly small. He now had a black top on.

It's laughable how easily we get away with murder. Eris stops the cameras. We change the way we kill people all the time. We have no 'MO' or signature. And we wear Waxies on our fingers. That's what we've called them ever since we were young. Wax on our fingers so we don't leave prints. Multiple cop cars were passing us along with an ambulance. I suppressed a laugh.

Martin sighed. "What?" I inquired.

"Chase and Eris aren't in the hotel." He informed.

"I'll check the parking lots beneath the building." I said.

"Okay, just be careful those boys were Savants."

"Martin," I laughed. "I kill Savants daily." I shrugged. I don't feel bad about killing others of my kind; they all die for a reason. I crossed in front of Martin heading for the stairs. They were colder than the air outside. The metal banister was almost painful to hold onto. "Chase!?" I yelled. "Eris!?" I stumbled on the last step and crashed through the door. I rubbed my shoulder. Chase was standing just below a light. "There you are." I called. "Greta was worried something had happened."

"Violet, stop talking." I stopped walking also. Violet?

'Savants' I really will slap myself one of these days.

"Chase?" I asked, slowly placing one foot in front of the other. Heel to tip, like I was walking on a wire. I moved closer to Chase. Standing in front of him was five people. One woman, four men. The eldest man was tall; the woman was short and a fire of energy. The last three boys; were all tall, all Hispanic. All resembling Xavier Benedict.

Standing in front of us, were five members of the Benedict family. "Well then." I scoffed. "What a lovely surprise."


	5. Chapter 4

**Here ya go. Sorry I'm a bit late. Bug Palava, school started on Monday. I spent most of Sunday night planning out the story, woke up early Monday morning to find my laptop had crashed and I hadn't saved the plan - you may now yell at the screen 'IDIOT!' or something along those lines - but anywho I have a great memory and I had memoriezed the plan *hold for cheer*.**

**Anyway, here ya go. **

**Love EJ x**

* * *

"Who are you?" One of the men asked who looked like he could eat razor blades without flinching. I had a really bad temptation to start quoting Victoria and James from Twilight.

"Yea, who are we, Violet?" Chase repeated to me. Keeping a straight face.

"I don't know Matthew," Chase and Eris didn't have cover names, so I used his middle name. "I think we were Rebecca and Charles yesterday but what about today?!" I asked, giving the 'I don't know' shrug towards them; pursing my lips, slouching into my shoulders and holding up my hands in an 'I have nothing' gesture. Before falling apart with Chase. I put my hand on his shoulder and rested my head against it. It was quite funny; the look on their faces had us laughing harder. Most had a mix between frustration and anger; then a severely not-pleased, steel tipped expression from the boy on the end, hair tied back with menacing grey eyes. Not kidding, they were actually Steel Grey.

"Something funny?" Another asked.

"Clearly." Chase replied back. "Otherwise we would not be laughing."

"Where's E?" I whispered to Chase.

He shrugged.

The door opened, Xavier Benedict walked out. Behind him the boy with the curls and the one with the glasses each hold an arm of...Eris? She had a desperate look on her face. To the Benedict's she's going to spill all our secrets. But we can see past that look and her twisted smile laughing behind the mask of desperation. She was still in the brown leather boots and black Qipao. Her brown eyes still covered by blue like the bioluminescent plankton in the Maldives contacts and the red ringlets of her new wash in-wash out hair colour were wild and loosely held in by the jewel combs, attached to her head by a few threads of hair. She was also soaking wet alongside the boy with the curly hair.

A final boy, broad chested, tough and built like a rugby player walked behind them. Very brawny, very tall and very intimidating. Tough and undefeatable were all over his stance, the way he moved confidently behind the two boys and Eris. To be honest tough and undefeatable didn't begin to cover this boy. Out of all of them, just on physical appearances, he looked like the strongest, so I would not want to fight him – that is if I weren't who I am.

I could feel Chase beside me already devising battle plans to beat the dude. He too was Hispanic and shared the dark looks the rest of the family had. But that also brought the attraction I felt towards him. Filled out form, defined facial feature, ripped muscles were easily spotted through the thin cotton shirt he wore – bonus for the ladies his top was soaking and hugging his body.

Eris was good at playing the innocent, vulnerable, helpless girl. And it wasn't hard; these boys were towering above her by at least a foot. She gulped a few times, adding to her 'frightened' look, her eyes darting all over the place.

I couldn't help it. I burst into more laughter.

The greyed boy stared at her. "Either she is really good at lying or she really doesn't know anything." He said.

"What...what am I suppose to know?" She asked in a small voice.

"What happened?" One of the first three boys asked. This one was tall and mysterious. Eyeing Eris like she was from a different planet.

"She jumped into the Hudson." Xavier called.

"Nah, she probably dived." I called.

"Will and I went in after her." The curly boy called.

"Freja," Chase called. Freja-Eris's middle name although it's suppose to be pronounced like Freya, she has always pronounced it Fray-sha, turning the 'j' into a 'sh' by vibrating it through her teeth because 'it goes better' which was always her excuse. "Really? I thought you would have gotten away."

"Oh I was waiting so I could blow everyone away with my amazing talents." She grinned. They stopped in front of the others.

"What?" The woman asked.

"Charging to three thousand!" She yelled.

Xavier turned around. "Let go of...!"

"CLEAR!" Directing her joke at Xavier. They were thrown away from her. The lights flickering. She grinned, standing still whilst the Benedict's picked themselves up from various directions in the parking lot. Xavier's jaw clenched angrily. The twisted smile that had been hiding behind the mask became apparent. She started towards us, stepping over the boy with the curly hair. He went to grab her.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you." Chase and I called. She continued to skip over to us. The curls spiralling down her back bouncing with each step.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" The eldest man ordered. He had a kind face and dark hair of a Native American who scraped the sky with his height, which is where the others got it from.

We stood in a sort of triangle position. Chase a step ahead of Eris and I, standing to his left and right. I'm pretty sure it looked dramatic. Threatening even.

"Shadows." We announced together. Ha-ha. Oh I love doing this. There was a moment of silence, whilst the Benedict's processed that.

"We have been tracking kids!?" One yelled. There are so many I'm losing control on who's who.

"Uriel." The dad of the clan warned.

'Uriel?'

'Go away' I sighed.

"No, you've been beaten by kids," I nodded, grinning, Chase laughed. Eris kissed her fingers and held up the peace sign.

"Jesus Christ."

"Do you feel like an idiot yet?" Chase asked.

"Never-mind that we must be going." I nodded to Eris she clapped her hands twice and the parking structure went dark.

_How do we get them away from us? _Chase asked.

_I have an idea. _Eris said. _You two stay here; I can lose them real easy be back in a tick-a-tee-boo. _She left us and ran to the opposite side of the building. She clapped her hands again so the stairwells on either side went dark. Chase and I ducked behind pillars. Eris stumbled through one of the doors 'accidently' turning the lights back on. She glanced up at the Benedict's. Laughing. "Oopsey." Then yelled up the stairs case. "QUICKLY! RUN!" The Benedict's followed her. We waited.

"I do admire my sister." Chase chuckled. She'd led the Benedict's to believe we'd all run up the stairs. "But remind me to have her drug tested."

"Will do." I laughed. "I personally thought they'd be smarter."

"We are." Chase and I sighed and stepped around the pillars, expecting to see all nine Benedict's.

"Not really, otherwise you'd all be here, not what's-his-name and Ariel." Chase chuckled, popping gum into his mouth. There was only two, the tall, lean one with the dark enticing look and the one built like rugby player that had jumped in after Eris.

"Uriel." The rugby player informed, gesturing to his brother. "And Will."

"We," I copied in the same tone. "Don't care."

"But we did get some of the names right. The first letter of his name and a few letters of yours." I shrugged, taking the gum packet from Chase.

'Will's kind of cute.' My conscience said.

'Do me a favour and go kill yourself? Please, I beg of you!'

'You're just not a very nice person'

'You try living with an annoying voice in your head!'

'I do but she's my body instead'

"Well bye." Chase and I turned to leave. The building was plunged into darkness. "Do you still admire her?"

"You better," There was a screech of metal coming away and then a loud clang as it hit the floor. Eris dropped from what could only be the vents. "Because I lost them."

"By turning of all the lights?" Chase inquired.

"I had to otherwise they would have seen me." She replied. "It's was a clever plan and it worked."

"Not fully." I said but Eris continued.

"Also Greta and..."

"Not fully!" I said louder.

"Two of them are still here." Chase said.

"Knock 'em out then!" She said like it was obvious. "Geez and you call yourselves the smart ones. You know what screw them; let's get out whilst we still can." She turned on her feet and ran to the edge of the floor. Cars lined the wall and at the top were glassless windows with metal bars. "Chase!" She yelled jumping onto a car. He punched the air. Eris ducked as they scattered everywhere. She clambered out. Climbing onto the cold car, I looked back over in the direction of the boys.

'What were they doing?' I asked myself.

'Probably calling their crew.'

I pinched my skin. The concrete was freezing, wet and uneven. I wiped the slimy grit from my hands onto my jeans as Chase got out. Cursing about a snapped car aerial. Streetlights glinted off the small pools of grimy fluid in the floor, that splashed and rippled when we stood in them as we took off down the alleyway; headed to the subway.

Whilst Chase got multiple looks from girls who then turned and giggled to one another, I had men leering at me. Self consciously I pulled my hair over my shoulder, leaving it to tumble in brown locks to my ribs. Eris got multiple looks from strangers wondering why she was soaking wet and in a Qipao.

Get on the subway and meet us at the airstrip. Martin's only instructions.

"We're flying?" Chase repeated, as we rocketed through the tunnels. The screeching of the wheels and the rush of air seemed much louder than usual. I could barely hear myself think – which was a good thing- but bad when I couldn't hear anyone outside of my head.

"Yes." I replied, for the hundredth time.

"I hate flying."

"We know." Eris joined in with me this time. He glared at me. A man a few seats down the carriage was giving us multiple once over's at Eris and I. "Chase give me your jacket." I said. He gave me a questioning look. I threw him a glare. He sighed in defeat and shrugged it off. I snatched it out of his hands and placed it around Eris. Although I was only in a tank top and the air was freezing me, Eris was going to catch her death. The man narrowed his eyes at me.

" 'scuse me," Chase said, politely to the girl next to Eris. She was young, dark hair that was relatively short for a girl. Her hood was up and earphone dangled from her ears. On her lap was a black school bag bulky with books. I she pulled one of her earphones from her ear. I could hear _snow patrol_ yelling from the earphone. "Can we swap so I can sit next to my sister?" She blushed at his attention, but hers was on a boy further down.

"Sure." She and Chase swapped.

"Thank you." She waved him away with a hand shake and a smile. The man was still staring.

"We'll need to get these re-done." I informed, Eris on the wet bandages. "The Hudson! Really?"

She shrugged. "Why?" She inquired, referring to her arms.

"We may not like normal doctors, but Reggie will say the same thing as they said. Jumping in the Hudson wasn't a bright idea either. Chase has to as well." I replied, rubbing my aching wrist. She looked at my wrist and then up at me. Reggie was the Doctor we went to should we ever need a doctor. Him and his team, they were on our side.

"Fine." Eris replied.

The moment only the whistling air filled and the squeal of the train going along the tracks.

"I still don't like flying."


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay, hey, should get some more updates over the weekend. Hope you enjoy it! **

**Also a big thank you to Spartacus1997, for recommending my story! I was estatic when I read it! So everyone read: Convincing Karen, I love it and I'm sure you guys will too!**

**I would not only like to dedicate this chapter to Spartacus1997, but the whole story because she was the one that started me writing. **

**BTW Spartacus1997, I love Karen.**

**Until we meet again, fellow readers.**

**EJ x**

* * *

I opened my eyes. The side of my face cold from the glass. The heaters were blasting warm air covering me like a blanket. I yawned, rolling my shoulders. I was strapped into the Kia KX-4 that Martin had waiting for us when we landed in Denver.

The snow covered fields passed like a big blob of white, impossible to tell where one ended and the next started. The fields got higher, rocketing into the air becoming sky-scraping mountains covered in firs and malting autumn aspens.

A big sign welcome us to the small town of 12000.

"Welcome to Wrickenridge." It smiled in big letters. Chase snorted. I turned to him. "It looks abandoned." He chuckled. We came into the town, driving through the streets of Wrickenridge. A small town not far from Denver, towered by the watching mountains, guarding the town. Now for 300 inches of snow, freezing winters and even the summers it only reached about 20 degrees Celsius on average, according to Martin.

"We might as well have moved into a freezer." I moaned. "Still look abandoned?" I asked Chase a few moments later.

"Yes, there is like four people around!" Chase replied.

"That's because most people are at school or work."

We drove past the elementary school. "Are we going to school?" I asked, suddenly

"Yes." Martin informed. I groaned in frustration as Chase barked with laughter.

"Don't know why you're laughing, young man you are as well..." Martin started. Chase stopped. "You two are going to college in the fall."

"Ha!" I threw at Chase.

"Eris is going to the high school." Martin continued.

"Wait the fall?" Chase asked. "As in the Fall of next year?" Martin nodded.

"I couldn't get you in this year." He shrugged.

"Martin why are we even here?!" I inquired as he pulled onto Moonrise drive.

"Well, after the Benedict's we need to disappear also Greta and I have some business we need to take care of in Denver," He informed, glancing at Greta who was asleep in the front seat. Like Eris who'd slouched onto Chase.

Salt crunched beneath the tires, the car rocked as Martin slowed his speed to drive up the kerb and onto the only driveway leading to the only house on the road. Roads covered in thick ice glittered under the December sun. Snow blanketed everything that wasn't driven over. Houses blended into the snowy white clouds that sunlight shot through like streamers.

Martin killed the engine in front of the Gothic Victorian house. Compared to the more modern houses we had just passed this house was the outcast. A stand-alone, enveloped in the forest. The dark green porch was the only colour - besides the dark red brick of the house – amongst the winter forest. A mixture bare trees; wilting firs and crispy aspens and the warm ever greens. Most covered with varying layers of snow. The sun still glowing golden, glistening off the white blanket like diamonds.

The house was three stories. Dark red Victorian brick. The lintel above the windows and the doors, the sills below them, the eaves of the roofs were all painted a dark green.

I counted nine windows on the front wall of the house. Three along the ground floor, two large ones in line with the door and a third smaller one to the left; three evenly spaced out along the first floor and then three in the roof, then the final three all triangular dormer windows.

'Someone liked triangles.' I think I'm going to name my conscience Annoya.

"Eris, wake up." Chase said. The girl could pass as dead; she didn't move or make a sound during what looked like a dreamless sleep as well as her ability to sleep through world war three. "It's like waking the dead." Chase informed. I got out of the car, my feet crunching down on the snow.

The car jolted behind me startling Greta and Eris. "They're up." Chase called.

Greta sat up, rubbing her eyes, smudging her smokey eye make-up. "Where...?"

"We're in Wrickenridge." Martin called opening the boot but then turning to the house.

Eris shuffled to the edge of the seat and sat there, feet on the snow. "Bagsy the attic room." She yelled.

"I think there's more than one." Chase said, walking around the car.

"Well, Bagsy first dibs." She replied. We all looked at the house, standing in front of the car.

"What do you guys think?" Martin asked.

"An old, creepy, Victorian house, surrounded by woods and no other human population, secluded from anything, it's not in shouting distance of any-human. People will think we're murderers." I said.

"We are murderers," Eris yawned behind me.

"I know but something a little less secluded would do fine and people would think we're normal."

"But we're not normal." Chase added.

"I...never mind."

"What about the rest of you?" Martin asked, handing out boxes and suitcases to take up to the house; throwing Greta the key's to open the front door.

"I think it's lovely, darling!" Greta called, spinning the keys around her finger.

"I think I can get used to this." Eris said, bundling toward the house, completely out of balance with the three suit cases. "I love it anyway."

"Of course you do." Chase replied.

"You don't?" She asked.

"I'd rather be in New York."

"You're just worried you'll become a country boy." Greta called, as they followed her up the porch.

"Exactly, there is no good with being a country boy." Their argument continued into the house.

Martin nudged me with the smooth, rounded edge of my suitcase. One I thought I'd thrown out. "What do you think apart from making us look like killers we are?" I took the suitcase from him, frowning at the pink sparkling design.

"It's not completely horrendous." I admitted. "I think I can get used to it."

He chuckled. "Good, we're thinking of buying the place and making it a permanent home so you've always got something familiar to come back to." Martin informed.

"Are you going soft?" I smiled. I've known Martin since I was eight. In eleven years, Martin had become someone I could trust and depend on. He's looked out for me, when no one else had.

"It was Greta's idea."

"No, no, I think you're going soft." I argued, treading down the path toward the house, concentrating on that more than where I walked. If it was painted black and the wood was mouldy, you'd find this house in a horror movie. Maybe an old orphanage or something.

"Jazz the...!" I tripped on the first step, stubbing my toe. "...step." I put my foot on the next step to steady myself but hit ice instead and went flying backwards into the snow. I was on my feet instantly shaking the snow from my clothes. Chase was sniggering in the doorway.

"I thought it was only Greta who could trip up stops like that, but apparently every girl in this family can." Chase laughed.

"Maybe you should stop giggling _like_ a girl and help." Greta said, shouldering past them. I carefully went up the steps, holding onto the cold green wooden banister up the steps. It was icy because the porch roof stopped any snow, but it didn't stop rain which froze instantly on contact with the ground, it is that cold.

The flat porch roof was directly beneath all three windows on the first floor covering the entire porch and going out further to cover the few steps that I'd manage to fall down. Carved pillars and porch trims were painted white like the sashes on the window. There was a wooden seat bench under the window to the right and a few pant pots with dying plants. The door was solid oak with a gold knocker and everything. Nothing looked new. Even the doorbell was metal and looked about a hundred years old. However the inside of the house was much nicer. And cleaner. The floor was dark gleaming polished wood.

The entrance hall was quite big with four doors leading away from it. Six if you include the stairs and door for the cupboard under the stairs. A door instantly to my right and one on the left a little further down. The stairs that curled round, also on my left. An open doorway to the right of the wall ahead of me, leading to the large country kitchen. And the last one was leading to a dining room in the right corner.

"Is that a grandfather clock?" Eris asked, pointing to the smooth wooden oak with the white and gold clock face. Standing tall on the wall next to the Kitchen door. Martin walked in with a few boxes, passing Chase on the way out.

"Um. Yes. I think."

"Oh." She nodded and placed the lollipop back in her mouth.

"You love those things but you hate Ice-lolli's?" I asked. She gave me a curt nod, walking into the kitchen.

Turning the cold brass handle on the door to my left, I pushed into the lounge. And boy it was big. A few bookcases floor to ceiling already crammed with all sorts of reading material. Beige walls with picture-less frames. A black fire place with a white mantel stood in the centre of the right wall and wide TV stood in the corner. The couches were all directed in the TV's direction and gathered around a coffee table. Ornaments I'd never seen before stood on the mantel. A desk was sat in front of the window near the door which was the one you could see outside and a large bay window sat at the very end, muslin drapes already hanging.

"Right." The front door slammed shut, followed by a thump of someone putting something heavy on the floor.

"O-kay!" Martin called. I walked back into the entrance hall. "New start." He started when we'd all gathered. "New people. New town. New us." He panned his view, looking at all of us. "We are the Johansson family, that is the name we are all registered under currently."

"How long are we staying?" Chase asked; when Martin threw him his ID.

"A while." He replied, handing a card to me and a student swipe card to Eris, which she didn't catch. I was quite pleased with my photo. I looked great. If I do say so myself.

Name: Jasper Johansson. "Johansson?" I asked Martin. "Really?!"

"I liked it." Greta defended.

"Jasper Johansson!" I said. This doesn't sound cool.

"Hey, we've all got cute nicknames now," She grinned. "M.J, GJ, CJ, JJ and EJ."

"Quick run! Before she haves us in cute matching outfits!" I joked.

Martin interjected before an argument could explode. "Come on guys, let's see how this goes before we start complaining. It's something new to try out together." When he saw that the last bit hadn't had any effect he sighed. "Let's unpack, we're not getting any younger."

"Apparently I am! I'm now a year younger than I was five minutes ago!" Eris said, stomping up the steps.

"Huh?" Chase and I inquired.

"We lowered her age to fit her into school, instead of being about to turn 18, she's about to turn 17." Greta informed.

"I still turn twenty on April 22nd...right?" Greta nodded. "Good." I grabbed the damn pink and sparkly suitcase and followed Eris up the stairs.

"Greta..." I yelled.

"Just pick a room!" She yelled, like she could read my mind. Oh wait, she can. She can read your current thoughts even with your shields up but to go deeper to find out what you know, shields have to be gone or at least be weak enough to break through. I passed a small rectangle window with blurred going around the curve of the stairs, nearly knocking the pink and white vase standing on the sill flying. I found Eris standing at the top of the stairs on the landing. Looking confused. The hallway was long that I wondered whether I'd gone into a bigger house.

'The house must be longer in length than it is in width.' That's it, my conscience has now been christened 'Annoya dafook outof moi!'.

The hallway ran from the front of the house, which was one of the windows on the front of the house. Two doors went from there. There had to be at least 7 doors along this hallway. And by the way they were spaced I'm guessing the rooms are quite large.

"Why do we need so many rooms!?" I yelled.

"We don't." Martin yelled.

"Then why do we have to so many!?" Eris was still staring intently at the doors. Eyes flicking to each door.

"The property was quite cheap compared to some others, extra rooms were a bonus." Greta yelled.

"Why is it so cheap?!" I asked.

"Will you stop yelling?" Chase asked, coming upstairs as well.

"Sorry," I defended. "But why?!"

"Because this used to be the house of a mass murderer?" Eris joked.

"Not funny, Eris." Chase sang.

"Yes it is." She replied in the same way. Eris yanked open the door directly opposite the staircase. She'd found the set of steps up to the attic. Eris went up as Chase went left. I followed Eris up the curved steps the attic. The hallway up here was shorter and travelled parallel to the front of the house. There was a window at the end, a bay window with cushions for seats. Eris pushed opened the first door on the right. "Mine! Dormer windows!" She grinned, throwing her bag in one direction and flopped onto the queen sized-iron bed with the ornately designed bedsteads.

The blue and white room with a night sky theme was quite large with paint like stars up the walls and on the roof, one that looked like a comet. The left and right walls of the bedroom where painted dark blue and the other two were white.

Her furniture was mostly white as well; there was a desk slash vanity unit in the corner, next to the fireplace and mantel. A big closet on the wall opposite the windows. She had two of the dormer windows, each with cushions and seat cushions. There was again, muslin hanging as curtains. And of course, the book case.

Eris moved around on the bed but then quickly jumped up. The girl never stops moving.

She'd changed out of her Qipao into boot cut jeans, a turquoise top and a brown tank-top over that. Boots still on underneath her jeans, Eris left the room and started running down the corridor and down the stairs, crashing through the door.

"Careful!" Greta yelled.

I walked out and into another room slightly further down. This is mine.

Unlike Eris' hard polished wood, this room had white carpeted with the bed by the two sash windows. The white bedding all neat on the queen-sized four poster bed, four poles of dark wood on either corner joined by a square of the same wood at the top which blue illusion curtains fell from, tied neatly by a blue ribbon at each pole. I put my suitcase next to the bed.

The walls were white with dark blue patterns. The curtains – like the bed drapes - were blue illusion fabric but only for show as the light blue blind fitted to the windows blocked out more light.

The dim daylight flooded the room as I opened the blinds.

A chest of drawers was opposite the bed, with a closet and a full length mirror. I could already imagine a few clothes lay strewn on the floor, books as well and my bed unmade.

"Well," I said, hearing Eris coming down the corridor. "whoever lived here before like the colour blue."

"Ha!" She laughed, walking past with an armful of stuff. "Ya think? The bathroom is on my side and a little further down from you." Eris called.

"Okay." I called. Heaving the suitcase toward the chest of drawers and the closet I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

Gangly but a great figure according to Greta. Slim but a little bulky in some places like my thighs with muscle. Brown and Blonde hair falling to my ribs slightly wavy, fair skin. Jasper eyes.

I was tall, at 5 foot 7, Chase at 6 foot, Martin and Greta round about the same height as each other, leaving little miss midget on her own.

Talk of the devil. Eris halted when she saw my concentrated expression. I inhaled, blinking. "You got killer looks you know. No pun intended." She said, coming forward to compare herself to me. "I wish I looked like you."

"No, you wish you had my height." I laughed.

"Yes that is partly why my dream is to look like you." She replied, cocking her head at the mirror. She had high cheek bones and a chin that stuck out a little, Chase has the same chin so they both inherited it from someone, like their brown eyes. They had a pale olive skin tone that sometimes went yellow in photos. I used to tease them calling them 'beige' when they hadn't seen the sun in a while. She had forming dark circles beneath her eyes. Her face still wounded.

"You look pretty in your own way." I said.

"Yea, I wouldn't have be able buy alcohol when I was eighteen." She sighed. I laughed.

"That's why you want to look..."

"NO! I don't like alcohol I pass out after a drop. Remember last time I had it I passed out and nearly feel of a 7th floor balcony!" She laughed. "Hmm." She sighed, recovering from her laughter. Twisting on her feet and leaving. But down the opposite end of the hallway. Maybe to the bathroom. I pulled my laptop from my suitcase and started clicking around.

Everything was quiet. Too quiet. "Eris?" I inquired.

"Yes?" She called back.

"Where are you?" I put my laptop on the bed.

"Here." Shuffling of the bed I was searching through lists of where she could be.

Sat on the window cushions of the bay window with her legs bent and a sketch pad pressed to her thighs; the pencil tapping at the page as she stared out the open window. Cold winter air floated towards me, Goosebumps prickled on my skin.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Don't those mountains look amazing?" She asked, I picked up my pace and reached the window in a matter of strides. I sat down opposite her

The view from the window was breath-taking; that's saying something coming from a killer who rarely stopped to admire nature. I liked the mountains though. The fields and forest covered with snow and the dark blue mountains rolling behind them, like an undulating tsunami frozen before it collapsed on this insignificant little town.

"Wouldn't that view be even better to draw?" I asked. I'm a killer yes, but I'm still a girl who can see beauty in most things.

"Yea, too bad we all suck at Art."

"We don't..." She held up the sketch pad to me. It was the view. Squares for the fields, lines and scribbles for the trees and forest. And the mountains were a squiggly line. I feel apart laughing. "Okay, yea we suck at art."

"I don't know, I'm actually quite proud of it." I only laughed harder.

I sat up. It was still dark and I was wrapped up in sheets, my clock telling me it was only the small hours. I was surprised I'd fallen asleep as we spent the rest of the day doing varies things, munching on Eris's Candy Corn, Cotton Candy, Sherbet and lollipops. But something had woken me.

'Energy'

And apparently she had been awoken as well. Standing in the doorway was a shadow silhouette hard to make out. Lightening cracked outside in the storm-less sky.

"Very dramatic, Eris." I sighed. She chuckled coming towards me.

"I know, very creepy as well."

I rubbed my eyes. "You seem wide awake what...?"

"You know the paint on the blue in my?" She interrupted, walking away from the door.

If I answer, she'd continue then I'd have to follow her. If I don't answer and pretend I'd fallen back to sleep she may leave me alone.

"Yes." I replied, getting up and walking into the hallway. She wouldn't leave me alone. She halted in front of her door.

"It's fluorescent paint." She shoved the door open. Her room was glittering, like thousands of stars. It was pretty cool, if I do say so myself. "My room glows in the dark."

"Do you want to sleep in my room?" I offered, touching some of the paint.

"Nah. Gonna unpack." I checked my watch.

"At 3 in the morning?" I asked.

She nodded, utterly serious. "Yes."

Chase stalked into the kitchen the next afternoon. Eris had gone to school after I had been woken by someone shrieking. Then another. Turned out that Chase was being electrocuted by Eris who was dripping wet. And Greta has had me running around unpacking since then.

Chase has never been so confused about which end of the emotional spectrum he's on. One minute he's as happy as a toddler who'd just learnt to walk the next he was being obnoxious and hitting the roof over the slightest thing. "I've touched a tree, I've stood in wildlife crap and I've seen some sort of animal chewing on a stick..." I snorted at the last one, resting my fore head in my palm. "...can we go back to New York now?"

"No! This is where we are staying." Greta said, pointing at him and then handing him a kitchenware box. "Put them away, second cupboard to the right." Greta pushed a box of china to go in one of the many Glass cabinets lining the wall of the dining room.

"What if the Benedict's do find us though?" I asked Martin, picking up the box.

"It's a tiny town, in the middle of Colorado; the Benedict's aren't going to find us." Martin reassured for the hundredth time.

Eris crashed through the door, out of breath, determined to tell us something big. She still wiped her feet on the mat though. Slamming the front door she started talking the moment she was threw. "Okay one, I'm never getting on that bus again; and most importantly... Guess who lives up on the mountain." She swallowed, gulping more air. "And who runs the ski slopes."

"Who?" I asked, putting down a box of china dishes.

"The Benedict family." I threw a look at Martin. It was a good job I'd put down that china. Greta would not have been happy. Trusting Eris to stray from the matter at hand. "I thought Chase was banned from touching smash-able stuff?"

* * *

**Tell me what you think xxx**


	7. Chapter 6

**Well then. I was half asleep when I wrote this so I'll check it over when it's not half past three in the morning. But enjoy anywho!**

**EJ x**

* * *

We waited for 11 o'clock before we moved. We'd changed into what we'd usually wear when we do stuff like this – breaking and entering. I fiddled with one of the pockets on my black Khaki pants. Martin and Chase wore Khaki's as well. Black shirts and jackets. Chase looked more like he was heading to a party to be honest. On a motorbike. To drink alcohol and hook up with a girl. His soulfinder was going to be a lucky girl.

Chase is 'fit' according to some of the girls I once new.

'This is creepy, he's your brother' Great it's back.

Martin looked way to young normally to have kids and now he looked like a kid recently freed from further education. He was sitting on the couch, leaning back and staring at the flickering TV screen, the volume of which was so low it was just a mumble of voices and audiences laughing. Dark stubble on his jaw and around his mouth, matching his dark hair. Like Greta he had blue eyes.

Greta looked more like cat-woman in her skinny's and leather jacket, her caramel hair still down; and Eris in jeans, unzipping and re-zipping the zip on her tight grey leather jacket. In the time since she'd gotten home and now – nearly quarter to eleven – Greta had been nervous which meant Eris' fading red hair was now frosted blonde that had gone ever so slightly pink somehow.

And everyone was silent. Usually we'd be in deep conversation about something ridiculous or be flinging food at each other. But tonight there was just an eerie quiet.

'Benedict's' she started. 'they have a bad effect on everyone'

They do but no one ever has an effect on us. Apart from each other. But…every time the Benedict's set about to help the Savant Net they're task always get's completed. They always win. And that's a great thing.

Unless you're the one going to lose. So us.

_They don't always win, Jazz. _Greta informed, looking at me.

_When have they lost? _She looked at Eris's slightly pink hair between her fingers. _Never! _

_Exactly. _She smiled. _It's time they did. _For such a kind hearted person, Greta is probably the one I'm most scared of. I laughed, shaking my head. Martin who had been eavesdropping laughed with me. The sound of uncoordinated piano keys being pressed suddenly had my head snapping to the culprit, smile gone.

Now I had a frown.

Chase's feet were on the keys of the piano I didn't notice we had. Every time he moved another loud note filled the quiet, and they were high irritating ones that made your brain ache; his earphones were stuffed in his ear and rock music thundered from them.

"How is he not deaf yet?!" I asked, from my seat on the window.

"I'm sure he partly is already." Greta replied, tying a ribbon around Eris's plait. Two small French braids went around her head and then became one big plait with the rest of her hair. Eris curled a small lock of her fringe around her finger.

We started most of our Breaking and Entering's after 11. The sky had darkened by 4 o'clock, it was almost impossible to see right now.

Chase jumped and fell of the piano stool onto the floor ripping the earphones from his ears.

"Did the drums give you a heart attack?" I asked, very amused.

"No..." He picked up his IPod. It was bright with an animated alarm clock shaking on the screen. "...I don't remember setting this alarm!"

"I do." Martin said, clicking the TV off and straightening his jacket. Chase scowled at him. "Let's go."

"Aw, babies upset." I pouted with a smile, getting off the window seat and walking up to him. Eris pushed between us to get out.

"Now, guys." Martin called, jingling the car keys. I patted Chase's cheek.

"S'ok, baby can sleep in the car."

We pulled the car to a halt, just inside the trees. It was still a way to the Benedict house but we didn't want to be that obvious.

I adored being out at night. And being in a forest made it even better. Martin handed us all flashlights, minus Eris who used her own light instead of wasting battery power.

We walked through the forest at a fast pace. We were heading to the Benedict house, knowing now was our chance to copy and destroy what they had on us. And as if luck was on our side they weren't due back till tomorrow.

The silence was normal now, walking through the forest. As fast as we can but as slow as we need to. The trees were black silhouettes against the dark blanket of clouds. The floor overgrown with tree roots, random moss covered stones, fallen branches and trees; the hard ground beneath it all was frozen.

"Why didn't anyone check to see if someone against us lived here?" I asked.

"We checked, it didn't come up." Martin replied.

"Probably because they live in the mountain, not actually in the town." Chase informed.

I nodded. "And tell me again why we couldn't just walk up the road?" I inquired a few seconds later.

"Cameras." Chase replied. "These guys, are hated by a lot of people, they're gonna have some security measures."

"Booby traps." Eris smiled behind us. "Someone steps on strategically placed twig and bang! They're dead!"

"And you wonder why we are your only friends." Chase laughed.

"I have friends." Eris snapped back.

"Yea?"

"Yea!"

"Guys!" Martin hissed, when they were nearly yelling.

"You don't have many friends either, Chase." I whispered. "None of us do."

"I was just proving a point." Chase replied.

"GRETA! MARTIN! DON'T MOVE!" Eris ordered. Everyone halted, turning to Eris. Chase pointed the light at her chest, so we could see her face but it wasn't blinding her. Her mouth was open and her eyes were searching nowhere in particular. Her head slowly raised, looking around in front of Greta and Martin.

"Eris?" Greta asked, when Eris had sparking electricity at her fingertips.

"Cameras." She said and thrusted her hand in Greta's direction.

With a bang and a hiss a camera exploded not far from where we stood. Sparks sprayed to the floor. She did the same again, this camera wasn't far ahead.

"Anymore?" Martin asked.

"Yea, but we're practically at the house." She informed.

"How can you tell?" Chase asked.

"Like you said," She informed, stepping over a tree, coming towards us. "they are hated by a lot of people, they're gonna have measures in place. They do." She ran ahead, dancing over the tree trunks. She was waiting a few metres from the house when we got there. "Chase was right." She said to Martin. "They're house is teeming with electricity. Alarms, cameras, you name it. I'm guessing a direct link to the local police and to the Benedict's themselves. You said one of them was in the FBI?" She asked. Martin nodded.

"Yea, Uriel...?" Chase asked.

"No, it's Trace, the eldest." I argued back, vaguely remembering him and the third were in law enforcement.

"No it's Victor." Martin corrected.

"Well the FBI would be on our arses should we set of the alarms." Eris said.

"Can you disable it?" Greta asked.

Eris giggled a little. "I can do anything to anything electrical." Her fingertips glowed a little as she collected electricity. "Wait here," She said. "Chase give me a boost to the roof." Using Chase's head she climbed onto the roof and went in through a window. Disabling it from the inside out. A few minutes later, someone was tugging and cursing at the front door.

"Hold on E," Greta called, retrieving her lock picking kit – the one I'd begged for when I was 13 – from her pocket and went to work on the door. It clicked open. "There we go." Eris yanked it open fully. "Patience." She said, tapping her nose.

"Okay." Martin walked in after Greta and started reeling off orders. "Okay find what you can, I want to be out by one."

It was nearly two o'clock and we'd barely found anything. The house was crammed with so many different places to hide things, each room had about a thousand books and hiding places. I was searching a very tidy room. Beige carpet, a window in the centre of the wall at the back the head of a double bed beneath it. Dark navy sheets. A desk to the left with a computer and stacks of textbooks. A closet to the left with another book shelf. It was a definite boy's room. The books were criminal logy and all that jazz, each with a neatly written name on a white sticky label on the back and on the inside.

_Will Benedict. _

Hm. Which one was that?

_Which one is Will Benedict? _I broadcasted.

"Number 24." Eris said walking past.

_4__th__. _Martin replied.

"Thank you." I stopped to look at a happy family photo. There were a lot of them around. Seven brothers, all handsome. Will was the rugby player.

'Yea, he told you back in New York.'

'Did he? I wasn't listening' I replied, placing the photo back on the shelf.

'No you were too busy looking at the wet T-shirt sticking to his muscles.'

'Well I am a girl.'

"We need to get some family photos." I called when I was done justifying my reasons to myself. "Make our story more believable."

"I swear to god, Jazz, you mention that to Greta…" Chase started nearby.

"Jazz that's a wonderful idea." Greta cooed.

"Better lock your door tonight." Chase hissed.

"Okay tough guy."

I was shuffling through papers I'd found in a clear box by the door of the bedroom, when suddenly the lights went out. "What the...OI!" I yelled.

_There is a car coming up the road. _Greta informed. _Put things back the best you can. _I carefully replaced the papers and the lid, standing up and waiting in the doorway. I noticed Eris come to her door as well.

I made eye contact. She inhaled, acknowledging me. It was very dark without the lights. She looked almost like a child from a horror movie, her hair dangling around her face. Just standing as a shadow in a doorway, waiting for her next victim to come.

Beware the killer-girl hiding under your bed. If you don't go to sleep she'll cut off your head.

Eris laughed a little, her lips pressed firmly shut as she shook with it.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." I whispered.

She nodded. "I'm using that." I opened my mouth but a car pulled to a halt on the gravel outside, then another, the headlights panning around the room.

For a moment both of us were in the light before it died. Doors opened and shut; loud voices echoed through the windows.

We all froze still when we heard them come to the front door. I held my breath. The house was deathly silent. The front door was pushed open.

"Xav, that's not funny!" A low voice growled.

"It's totally funny." Xav replied.

"Now, now boys. No fighting." An older voice warned.

The dad of this motley crew.

"Mom." A gruff voice asked.

"Yes, sweetie." I held in a laughed. The guy sounded nothing like the 'sweetie' his mother so obviously adored.

"This lock's been tampered with."

_Get out! _Martin ordered. The Benedict's were silent. They felt the telepath. _Now!_

_I can't!_

_Then hide!_

"There are people in the house, find them." One of the boys said.

Not good.

I climbed under the bed of the room. One of the tidiest rooms I've ever seen.

'Now is not the time to be judging which room is the tidiest'

Feet thundered through the house as they checked everywhere. I feel sorry for the boys who find Chase and Eris.

Feet walked into the room I was hiding in, a quick check in the closet and he left. The idiot forgot to check under the bed. Closing the door behind him.

I waited. The guy obviously thought no one would hide under the bed, being the most obvious place. Well I did and it's protected my identity.

Chase had just ducked into a small room downstairs, with a load of ski gear crammed in as well. He tumbled over a snowboard and fell down, bringing most of the ski kit with him, making a noise that travelled through the house and announced his location. He threw open the window, having blocked the door; it was kicked down as he leapt from the window and shot off into the forest.

This gave enough distraction for Greta and Martin to slip out the backdoor. There were still a few upstairs though.

Eris was in a room down the hall from me, she'd climbed out the window onto the roof to hide. Shutting the window. Pressed against the wall she could see the shadow of someone coming to the window in the light reflecting onto the trees. I scrambled from beneath the bed and did the same. Pulling the window closed and locking it with telekinesis.

"Eris!" I hissed. She snapped her head to me, jolting her. She shrieked skidding down the tiled roof, I dashed forward grabbing her hand. Pulling her to her feet.

"DAD! VICK!" We turned around to see men in the window. Eris and I moved to the edge and – just to show off – somersaulted off. Eris kicked her feet into the air doing her signature reverse flip.

I frowned at her. She jumped smiling before spiriting. She's not extremely fast, you'd catch up with her easily and running in snow wearing heeled boots is not good. And it didn't do any good for Eris.

"Split." She called. "Meet you at the house."

" 'kay!" I yelled back. She took off into the forest on the other side of the road. I saw three pursue in after her. Only one caught glimpse of me. Swearing loudly I bolted into the dark snowy trees. The broad chested boy came for me. He looked like he belonged on the British Rugby team. Same height, tough and boy was he fast. All the air is knocked from my lungs before I can shriek as I'm tackled to the ground. My head in the snow, I can't breathe and I'm panicking. The boy is pressing down on my shoulders, crushing my chest. SO there is only one other thing I can do.

_GET OFF ME! _I scream in to his mind. He jumped away from me instantly.

'Good, I hope it hurt him!' I said to myself.

'No! I'm the evil one, you should care!' My conscience yelled back.

'I'm not going to care about him! He just tackled me to the floor!' Why am I arguing with myself?!

'I don't think you hurt him, babe, and you're arguing with me, now I suggest you get back to your feet and cry about this later.' Lightning cracked in the sky. Fork lightening, spreading right across my vision of the horizon, the clouds an inky purple.

I jumped back to my feet completely ignoring the flabbergasted boy still on the floor until he collides into me and slams us both against the tree. "Get off me!" I yelled, thrashing my arms and legs. "Get! Off!..."

_WAIT! _Suddenly I find myself relaxing into his embrace. Tingles shoot through my body, I feel my heart sky rocket, my blood warm up, pumping adrenalin through my veins. I feel my whole centre of gravity shift, my world lights up like an eruption of fireworks in the sky as our hearts collide. Like the fog lifting, everything is so much clearer. Even in the darkness the colours are sharper. Like life has just been breathed into a lifeless body, my thoughts are spinning. I'm flying up and down the emotional spectrum. I stare at him.

"I found you." He whispered before laughing.

"Um..." I stuttered.

"Will?!" Someone yelled.

He opened his mouth to yell back and I did the first thing I could think of. I crushed my lips to his. He pulls me closer but I pull away before _I _get carried away.

"I'll explain later but right now, they can't know who I am!" I said, panicking at the approaching voices.

"Can I know who you are?" He asked.

"You've already met me." I replied.

His mind whirled on fast forward till he found a face to match mine. "But you never told me your name."

'Well he's smarter than he looks.'

'We did make it obvious we were using fake names'

"I'm Jasper; my job is to kill people." I slipped out of his arms and headed for the house. Well at least now I didn't have to sit through an awkward silence or an enraged male over reacting about my job. No, I'll give him a chance to settle and think.

"FREEZE!" Maybe not. I stumbled to a stop when I heard the unmistakable load of a gun magazine. A noise I'd made so many times before.

"DON'T MOVE!" Another ordered.

"I'm not." I yelled back.

"Guys, chill out…" Will. Good guy, Mr Savant Net coming to my rescue.

A few other boys pitch up, 5 were now standing in front of me. "Will…"

"Just calm down. We don't know who she is or what she can do." Will defended. The boys exchanged looks of confusion.

Yes. Nice. Thanks Will. "Yes, Mr Rugby player has got a great point." I turned around. "I could have screwed with your guns, so when you shoot…BANG!..." I shrugged, with a 'nothing else you can do' look. "You should be nice to me."

Two more boys come through. "She has a point, the other one had just stopped and was attacking us with lightning bolts." One cracked in the sky. I laughed when the two boys visable flinch and the bolts rocketing across the sky, striking a tree nearby.

It's Eris, trying to get my attention. _They've got me. Don't do anything stupid, think of something smart to get me out. If that fails knock on the front door and ask politely._

"She's using telepathy!" One I'm not sure which informed.

"Brava," I sighed, sarcastically.

_Okay, if you're sure. _Chase said, wary of my safety. I loved Chase he's hard to keep up with emotionally but he's there when it counts.

_I'm sure, I'm just gonna have a bit of fun. _

"Who are you talking too?" One of the boys with a gun asked.

"Santa; I want a flamingo for Christmas." Well it was something like the 9th of December. "I was talking to people, you know the other humans that you should interact with. I was just telling them to knock politely when they come to fetch me." I smiled. They all look at the second boy with the gun.

He nods. "Telling the truth." I was a little offended when looks of surprise flickered across their faces.

"SO you must be Vicki, which means the other gun boy must be Tracey. Will. Where's Ariel? Oh there you are. You must be the Alphabet boy, Abigail, and someone I don't like." They were not impressed. "So I take it you don't like your new nicknames? You and me both. My mom changed our last name so we could all have matching nicknames." I was surprising myself with the levelness of my voice, considering I was standing a painful few feet away from my forever. My eyes kept drifting back to him. I quickly diverted them.

"Who are you?"

"You can call me, The Shadow." I replied. "So are we taking our relationship one step further or shall we keep it short and sweet."

"Come with us."

Madame Latino and Mr Native American man were not pleased at my arrival even though I gave them my brightest and politest smile.

My family returned to the Benedict house a few hours later. Martin hammered his fist on the door.

"Well that's me." I said standing up off the sofa. They had each taken it in turns to interrogate me. I'd been exercising my sarcasm and I was now up to scratch and still fluent. Turns out none of them liked their new nicknames so it was back to boring Trace, Uriel, Victor, Will, Xavier, Yves and Zed.

"Sit down." I didn't.

The dad of the group – Mr Saul Benedict - opened up the door.

"We are here to fetch her." Martin informed. Saul and Martin were battling height, which one was taller I don't know.

"Give her back or she'll kill your children and then you." Chase said.

"Her?" Trace asked, referring to Greta as Eris was hiding somewhere. He and Victor had gone to stand by the door with their father.

Eris clapped her hands and the lights went out. "No her." Chase grinned. Eris walked into the house, everyone giving her a wide berth. Her face warmed from the cold expression to a happy-nice-to-see-you're-alive type of face. Again her fingertips were glowing from all the electricity she was holding back.

"Well, this has been a riveting experience but I must dash." I stood back up.

"NO!" The small woman, Karla, walked in. "We would like some answers!"

"Karla…" Saul warned protectively.

The five of us started laughing. "I want doesn't get." Greta reminded.

"So good luck with those answers." Martin nodded.

"It's only fair."

Stupid woman. "Do want to see how unfair we can get?" Eris asked, fluttering her fingers near her face casting a dim glow that made her look like a serial killer.

"Would you so kindly put the lights back on?" Karla asked.

"She did ask politely." I sighed. Eris clicked her fingers and the house zapped back to life. They looked at us. We looked at them.

'Stare off.' I suppressed a laugh.

"So…" Xav started, turning to Zed and Yves. "This was the girl you two couldn't catch?" He asked, Eris had put on her perfectly innocent face.

They both looked sheepish. "She's dangerous."

He stuck his hand out in her direction. "She like fourteen!" Xav reminded.

"I'm se-sixteen actually!" Eris corrected.

"And you can't ridicule them. You had all three of us under sedation yet we still escaped." Chase reminded.

"Yea, that was fun to watch." I laughed. "Also you lot have had us cornered like twice or something yet we still disappear."

"We live up to our name." Greta added from the back.

"Let's start again then." Saul said, calmly, all anger had disappeared.

Chase, Eris and I gave him a look. "Like a truce?" Greta asked.

Saul nodded. "You first then." Chase ordered.

"No need." I shrugged. "Saul, Karla, Trace, Uriel, Victor, Will…" I faltered on his name. Remembering instantly what we were. "…Mr Arrogant, Yves and Zed."

"Zed isn't a name! Zed is the letter of the alphabet!" Eris and Chase pointed out.

"And what about you?" The Benedict's asked, seeing Zed's anger getting dangerously out of control. Him and Eris having a little staring competition.

Martin stepped forward. "I'm MJ, my wife GJ, and my wonderful children…" We smiled at them innocently and politely. "CJ, JJ and EJ."

"See they weren't so bad after all." Greta called from the back.

Will gave me a look. "I'm Jasper Johansson." I informed, turning to my shocked family. "They're gonna find out because this one…" I jerked my thumb at Eris. "…goes to the local school."

"What's your name?" Yves asked.

"Eris." Eris always pronounced Eris like A-ris, from her accent. Although it's just E-ris.

"Chase."

"Martin and Greta." Martin informed.

"Well that wasn't so hard." Karla said, everyone gave her the look this time. Including her kids.


	8. Chapter 7

**Hope you enjoy! **

**EJ x**

* * *

Will. My only thought that is never forgotten, not once leaving my mind. My last thought before I fell asleep. My first thought when I wake up.

The Benedict's were of mixed emotions when we decided to leave. Parts of them wanted us out of their house so everyone stays happy and alive, other parts wanted the lock us in a room so we can't escape or kill anyone. The dim daylight was pushing through the blue blinds. I rolled around on the ridiculously soft bed before rolling too far and dropping onto the floor. There was the distinct sound of a heated argument between four people downstairs. I crawled a little before clambering to my feet. Outside the door was a trail of blood droplets leading from Eris's room. Eris's had had a nose bleed again. But the bathroom looked like it was the crime scene of a murder.

"How the hell did I sleep through this?"

Avoiding the blood on the floor I ran down the hallway and through the house, the arguing getting louder and louder as I got closer and closer.

"Who murdered who in the bathroom?" I asked, walking into the kitchen. "Oh hey, Reg." Reggie, the doctor, was here which meant nobody was dead. But he was hovering near Chase's topless torso. "What happened?"

"I was having a nosebleed, and Chase crept up behind me and scared the killer out of me!" Eris informed, wearing her black track pants and a tight pale pink adidas track jacket so she looked like she'd just been running.

"You didn't need to attack me with lightning!" He yelled.

"You shouldn't've crept up on me then!"

"ENOUGH!" Martin barked, severely displeased with the situation. Greta had a frown on her face but rubbed Eris's shoulders reassuringly. "You are both to blame as much as each other."

"He's gonna be alright, right?" Eris asked, in a small voice. Reggie nodded.

"He's going to be fine. It's only effected the skin. Just bandage them up and he'll be fine. You were lucky, young man, that it was Eris and not an actual lightning bolt, otherwise this situation could've gone a whole different way." His phone beeped. "I have to go, Sky-Anne Clasen tried to fly again." The Clasen's where our 'cousins' who lived in Minnesota, eight kids. Three are biological to the parents, the remaining five were like us. We're the shadows, they're the Phantoms. There are more of us than you'd think, but not as many as you'd imagine. "I need to go."

"Thanks Reggie, tell them we said hi." Greta called seeing him out.

"Are you alright?" Eris asked.

"I'm fine," Chase replied. He had the Lichtenberg figures of a lightning strike on the upper part of his arm and spreading onto his chest, they were bleeding still. "Surprisingly, it doesn't hurt that much."

"It bloody hurts when actual lightning hits you." Eris informed, leaning on the un-injured shoulder. When Eris was seven and again when she was thirteen she was struck by lightning. Savant Doctors say it's because she attracts Electricity, in result she has Lichtenberg figures on her legs below the knee – hence the knee high boots – and on her back, shoulders and chest. Spent months in the hospital. Resulting in many nose bleeds like Niagara Falls and the inability to have children.

"Who told them where we lived?" Martin asked, his eyes falling on me. Greta busied herself wrapping Chase's arms and chest up.

"Told who what?" I asked.

He pointed to the car now pulling up, followed by a motorbike. Guessing that Zed was on the motorbike, Yves and Will got out of the car. Zed remained with his helmet on, sitting on the bike.

"Hi." Yves said. No one replied. "I know the bus driver doesn't come up here and we've just seen drive past so we've come to offer Eris a lift."

"How … nice…?" Greta said.

Chase wasn't convinced, eyeing them. Yves suddenly doubled over, holding his head. "Chase!" I yelled.

"Chase stop it or I fry your brain!" Eris demanded, standing on the granite kitchen counters, hand in the air and palm facing toward Chase. He stopped, Yves relaxed, falling into Will. Zed had pitched up by the door a threatening look in his face.

"I was just seeing if they had motives for being here." He defended. "Other than to take you too school."

"Hmm?" She checked the time. Glaring at it.

Greta ran over to her. "Eris stop!" She said, climbing up onto the counters herself and clapping her hands over Eris's eyes. "I like that clock! Go get changed." She pointed Eris toward the stairs.

"We were just being polite." We looked at Will. Chase scowled at him. I rolled up Greta's home and cooking magazine and smacked Chase round the head with it.

"Play nice." I ordered. "He's moody because he crept up on Eris this morning and got struck by Eris lightning."

"It's not funny."

"It's hilariously funny!" I laughed back. Greta was chuckling and so was Martin as he retired to his study. Eris returned in a violet Barbie doll of the shoulder top and jeans. Her hair in spirals from twisted and wrapped in a bun all night.

"It's uber funny," She laughed grabbing her backpack from a chair and heading to the cupboard that holds all her sweets, climbing onto the countertops and kneeling below the cupboard.

"Not too many!" Greta reminded.

"I'm going to school." She announced, slipping off the countertop and zipping up her bag.

"Have fun." Martin called as she kissed Greta's cheek.

"I'd rather not." Eris informed, yanking her backpack over her shoulder and grabbing a jacket. "Are you alright?" She inquired walking up to Yves, ignoring Zed's warning looks.

"Yea. Fine." He replied, rubbing his forehead. Eris laughed as she held up a lollipop. He shook his head. "No, thanks."

"Might make you feel better." Yves took one cautiously. They walked from the house discussing whether it was poisoned or not; Yves and Zed screaming above Eris in height. Will stayed put. Zed roared his bike to life and shot out the driveway, closely followed by Yves.

Still holding the magazine in my hand. I hit Chase harder. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

He scowled at me, standing up straighter to tower above me. Giving him a superior feel. I will not fall. Martin walked out of his office and up to Chase and I. "Chase I understand what you're thinking, I agree," He said in a low voice. "And I know you're feeling protective of Eris, so I'll make sure she is safe. But we have enough trouble with them we don't need to add to it." Martin warned.

"Martin we don't know…" Chase started.

"I had Greta check earlier." Martin reassured. "She'll be fine, Chase."

"You lot are scolding me, when Eris has become little miss sunshine with the Benedict boy." Chase pointed out, pointing towards the direction they had left. We looked at Will.

"Can we talk?" He asked me.

"Sure."

The forest was surprisingly quiet. I trudged along the soft, damp moss of the forest path. The rustle of leaves a soft whisper in the wind, peaceful. It was so calm. We walked silently, side by side, on the dirty forest floor filled with twigs. The dark, green forest had a more mythical feeling to it during the day than at night when it was more mysterious. The sun was hidden behind the grey clouds.

I kept glancing sideways at Will. He was just an inch taller than me hands in his jacket. He laughed. Shaking his head. "What?" I asked.

"You keep looking at me. It's like you want to say something but you keep deciding against it." He said.

"Umm…no, no, I just…" I hesitated, choosing my words wisely. "…can't believe it." I said. Breathing a smile.

He stopped. "Neither can I. Vick is threatening to tell my parents if I don't cough up who it is." He admitted. "Then there is no way I can't keep you a secret."

I smiled. "Thank you." I replied, I couldn't help but smile. "You're protecting me…"

He stepped closer. "I'm protecting my soulfinder." He twisted a small lock of my hair around his finger. "I don't want to cause any…stress or anything…"He chuckled to himself. I wasn't sure whether he was nervous or, or whatever boys are when they meet the one they're supposed to spend the rest of their life with. I doubt 'How to Deal With Finding Your Soulfinder' is a chapter in the Boys Guide to Life or the Gentleman's handbook, so he's just as experienced as I am right now. Wow, can eyes be that blue?

They were dark, like Sapphire's, but clear and dreamy.

'Get a grip of yourself woman!' My conscience screamed.

"Whoa…" Will was taken aback, shock all over his face.

"Um," How do I explain this? "I have voices in my head." I inhaled, sharply, mentally face palming myself when I realised I'd said it aloud. "I wasn't supposed to say that out loud." How could someone I barely know have so much control over me? I've never been like this. Ever.

'Voices?" He inquired, a mixture of emotions on his face. Mainly confusion and 'uh-oh, have I got a crazy soulfinder?'

I have power over life force. Energy to be quick, which means I can bring quite a few things to life, including my conscience.

'I know that, tell him!' I repeated it too him.

"So…you can bring things to life?" He asked.

"It's one of my abilities. I've never been to school because anything with an electrical pulse would start talking to me. I'd have conversations with my cell phone and my calculator. And my conscience is one of those obnoxious types of personality which means she voices her opinions, sarcastic comments both of which are un-need and not helpful. From time to time however she is useful." Wow, I sound like a nutter. Mommy's little nutter, as Greta would say when I was young, she'd walk in finding me mid-conversation with the toaster or the washing machine. No one else can hear them, only me. Which makes people think I'm crazy. "My family can go beyond normal Savant restrictions with their powers, I can just boost them on energy."

Will nodded. "Very handy."

'I'm falling for him.' My conscience informed.

'He's mine'

'He's ours'

'You have just made the relationship between me and my soulfinder a whole lot weirder'

"What about you?" I asked.

"Nothing quite as impressive, I'm like my father, I can sense danger." He informed.

"I bet we set you off like a New Year's firework celebration." He laughed with me.

"Yes, you did at first and then it stopped reacting as bad. I still have a shadow at the back of my mind, a warning of danger."

"Yea that'll be me."

He hesitated before asking. "Have you, actually killed someone?"

What the hell do I reply to that with?! Yes, my dear soulfinder, I've killed people. I can kill you so many different ways and then get clean away with murderer in my sleep. Yea I say that, he'll run for the hills.

_I won't. _

Come on!

He laughed.

"You heard all of that?" I asked.

"Yes." He nodded. "But I won't go anywhere without you." He said.

'Ahh, sweetness'

'Shut up!' He laughed again.

"You can hear her?" I asked. He nodded. "She sounds irritating, doesn't she?"

'OI!'

"Yes,"

"Try living with her."

'Try living with you'

"Before you start an internal argument." He paused. "Do you want to go Skiing?"

Yes. "Skiing?" He nodded. Now what's the probability this is going to be the only thing in the world I can't do? A very high probability, which means there is a very high chance of me slipping onto my arse more than a million times. So there is only one logical answer. "Sure." What have I done?

"Okay so keep your legs close together," Will reminded me for the thousandth time. I'd been tumbling down the nursery slopes for over an hour, I could stand on ski's I just couldn't keep control. Will gave me a small push and I started down the slope again. My legs started to separate so I was halfway to doing the splits. "Keep your legs straight!" Will yelled. I toppled forward once more.

"AHH!" I rolled forward, my back hurting as it hit the floor. Will was at my side instantly. Laughing.

"Okay, maybe it isn't as easy as I thought." Will admitted, helping me to my feet after I'd kicked the ski's off my feet.

"Ya think?!" I asked.

"It's easy once you get the hang of it." He reminded.

"You're just good at it because you've been on them since you could walk, hell you were probably born on ski's!" We trudged up the snow towards the ski-lift, the one thing I really wanted to go on. I love heights.

Will laughed. "No, I wasn't born on ski's, I'm pretty sure Xav was though. He's amazing. Like Olympic good." Will replied, looking to the mountains as though he could see Xav. "So, do you all work on the slopes?" I inquired, vaguely remembering him mentioning it.

"Yea, when we're down here." He replied. "Usually it's only Zed, Yves and Xav because they still live here." He explained. He placed my ski's – things I never wanted to see again – inside the door of the ski building thing. "Xav's taking a gap year so he's out here more often than the rest of us."

"Cool."

"Ah, speak of the devil." Will smiled warmly. Xav was manning the booth of the Ski-lift. His brow shot up at the sight of us.

"What's this I see?" He asked gesturing between us.

"Family bonding." Will replied.

"Yes, your brothers kindly kidnapped my sister to take her to school and spend quality time together we may all regret later, so Will and I decided to look at the world before it's destroyed in an Eris storm." I smiled.

"Right…" Xav said.

"Let us through Xav." Will ordered before he could ask me another question.

"Okay, did you hear Will?" Xav asked.

"Hear what?" Will sighed impatiently.

"Yves passed out a school." Xav informed.

Will's attention was instantly on high. "Is he alright?"

"He's in the hospital with mom, dad, Zed and your sister," He pointed in my direction. "Had to patch up a few blood vessels and he has a concussion." Xav said, his eyes sliding to me. "I'm not sure how it happened though." He opened the gate to let us through.

"Another time, maybe I have to go." I said, before darting up the hill. I ran through the forest back toward my house. It didn't take me long, mostly downhill and I knew the way.

_Jasper? _I stumbled at his voice, sending vibrations through my body. _Everything okay?_ He asked as I picked myself up off the floor.

_Just peachy. _I replied, before he could reply I was at my backdoor and storming in. "Chase!"

Greta came in from the living room. "Jazz?" Martin came out from his study.

"He's not here, what wrongs?" Martin inquired.

"Chase put Yves Benedict in the hospital." Greta gasped, her mothering side mortified whenever someone was injured who didn't deserve it. Yves definitely didn't deserve it. "Yea, passed out at school…" I explained, grabbing the car keys from the ceramic dish that now sat by the front door. "…burst blood vessel, concussion. Xav fixed him up,"

Greta looked up, her finger moving in the air as she searched her brain. "Xav, third youngest, Healer." I opened the front door. "I'll message you when I get there." I started to close the door but slipped in a comment about Chase and his imminent death before I closed it completely. I'm not sure why exactly I was heading to the hospital, but I found myself driving in that direction.

Having a soulfinder has messed up my methods. Usually I have a crystal clear plan. Now my mind is all over the place, adjusting to Will's constant presence.

I've never really liked hospitals, Eris and Chase as well, to many emotions for three kids on the brink of being emotionless killers. Unfortunately Chase is practically there, 'slipping' is what Greta and Martin called it. I never understood how having a soulfinder changed everything till I found mine.

Chase needed his desperately. I swung into the parking lot and skidded to a halt. Perfect. I got out, admiring my handiwork and the angered yells from the obese man in the tiny green Volkswagen who was just about to get into the space.

"You wouldn't have fit anyway." I called walking into the ER. Where the heck do I go? "Excuse me." I grabbed the attention – politely – of a small nurse with dark skin and hair in a bun. "My friend was brought in from Wrickenridge high…"

"Are you a relative?" She inquired.

"Yes." I'm a sister in law to be honest.

"We've only had one patient and he came in with a young girl and a young boy." She informed.

"That would be them." She beckoned me to follow her, leading me through the corridors away from the noisy ER to a peaceful ward of glass windows and waiting chairs. I see Saul leaving the room. I nod at him before pushing into the room. Zed's head snapped to me, Eris gave a brief wave not looking at me.

"I'm going to kill your brother." Zed announced.

"Go ahead." Eris and I chorused, taking Zed by surprise. Eris was sat in a chair at the end of the bed, Zed leaning against the right wall. "Where are you parents?" Zed shrugged.

"Probably contacting the Savant Net Assassins to come and take you guys out." Zed said seriously.

"The only reason we exist, Alphabet boy, is because we do what the Savant Net has the inability to do." I reminded.

"Which is?"

"Kill people who deserve to die." Eris said, looking at him.

"Come on, Man, wake up, I'm out numbered here." Zed said in Yves direction. He was unconscious with a drip in his hand and nasal tubes around his face and topless with heart monitoring wires stuck to his chest. As if he;d been listening, Yves's eyes opened up. "Yves?" Zed pushed off the wall and came to his brothers side. I lent over the chair to Eris.

"So the bad boy has a soft side?" I whispered.

"For his family." She turned to me. "Zed was panicking in the ambulance. And everyone is on their way back from Denver."

"Where's my top?" Yves asked.

"On the chair." Eris replied.

"Eris?" A voice croaked. We looked to Yves, who was squinting from the light. She clicked her fingers and the lights dimmed. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She replied.

"What are you doing here?" Yves asked, sitting up. He took of the oxygen tubes and hung them over the nearest piece of machinery.

"I had to make sure my brother didn't kill you. Also I came as moral support for Zed in case he wanted a shoulder to cry on." Yves snorted. "I knew something like this was going to happen." She said.

"You did?" Both boys asked.

"Yea, no one is 'fine' after Chase." I informed.

"Jasper, you here for moral support as well?" Yves chuckled.

"I'm here to save Eris from the brothers that come in and instantly blame her." Eris pulled out a lollipop and handed it to Yves.

"Sugar, it'll make you feel better." She smiled. Saul and Karla reappeared. "It always does for me."

"That's because you're permanently on a sugar high." He reminded.

"Yves! My baby, you're alright!" I stood back as Eris pushed her chair back, Karla was like a heat seeking ball of energy and it was almost scary.

"Yes mom," He gasped, from behind hugged to tight. I tapped Eris's shoulder, gesturing to the door. She got up leaving a few more of her sweets at the end of the bed. We started down the sparkling clean hallway, the burning smell of anti-septic stung my nose.

"Damn it! Do you have a tissue?" Eris asked, halting and cupping her nose.

"Do you like him?" I asked.

"Like who!? A tissue please!" She asked holding out her bloodied hand. I handed one to her. "Thank you."

"Do you like him?" I repeated.

"Who?" She asked.

"Yves."

She paused. "As a friend." She replied, slowly. "What about you? Do you like Will?"

Do I tell her? I should probably tell her. NO she'll hate me even more. She doesn't hate me. She hates them. Except Yves. "As a friend." A very, very close friend.


	9. Chapter 8

There was furious walking up the hallway. We turned around to see Karla storming up behind us, Saul a few steps behind her with a very amused look Zed standing in the doorway of his brother's room.

"Uh-oh."

"Can we go? We need to go." Eris said. "Like now, Jazz."

"Yes please leave." Karla ordered. "And never come near my family again!"

"What!?" I found myself yelling.

"Well tell your family to stay away from us! I need to find a bathroom." Eris reminded.

"I will!" Karla replied.

"Screw it, I'll be back." Eris ran off down the hallway.

Karla opened her mouth. "Will's my soulfinder." I blurted out.

'That shut her up'

'Not now!'

Zed's amused face dropped, Karla and Saul didn't know what to feel by their expressions.

"What?" Karla whispered.

"Maybe Will should be here." I muttered. I saw Zed on the phone with Yves now standing beside him, having a conversation with each other as well as the person on the phone.

_Jasper? _Will's heart-warming voice filled my head.

_Will._

_Are you alright? _

_Umm, _insert nervous laugh here. _I'm in a bit of situation at the hospital. With your family. Your mother in particular. _

_I know._

_You know? _I looked at Zed. He said something to the person when he saw I was looking at him. _You're on the phone to Zed._

_Just pulling up at the hospital. _

Of course he is. "Young lady are you listening to me?"

"Hmm, what, no." I replied. Karla frowned at me. There were others in the hallway despite us. But only one had my attention. She looked like a beautiful porcelain doll with long dark ash blonde hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks and stormy eyes of electric blue and sea green. She was looking at us, curiously. She was sat like one as well, hands clasped on her lap, straight posture, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Shadow!" Karla yelled. I snapped out of trance and looked at her. The porcelain girl's eyes widened as though she knew what a Shadow was in Savant terms.

"Sorry were you talking to me, I'm just…zoning out at the moment." I replied, honestly.

"Will!" Karla sang in relief.

"Will?" I turned around. "Will!" I gave him a smile, miming 'Help me'.

"Is it true?" Karla demanded.

"Is what true?" He asked, innocently.

"That…" She was interrupted by the shrill of my phone. Someone is really on my side today.

"Hello?" I asked.

"We have a job." Chase said.

I growled, turning to the side. "I am going to murder you and I pretty sure the Benedict's are plotting revenge!" I hissed. "And truthfully, I'm gonna let them through a punch or ten and maybe that obnoxious attitude you seem to have adopted will be knocked from your body and replaced with something a little more socially acceptable LIKE COMMON SENSE!" I said, the last partly loudly.

"Jazz, you may not believe me but I didn't break his shields, I can't have caused what happened to Yves,"

"You're right I don't believe you," I paused. "What sort of…" I briefly checked over my shoulder. "…thing is it?"

"Just a take out." He paused. "You're with them aren't you?"

"Possibly." He sighed.

"I can't get hold of Eris…"

"She's here, somewhere. Nursing a nosebleed." I informed.

"Okay, well if you can put of killing me for a few hours I'd be happy to have you two accompany me." He said.

"Okay, I'm coming,"

"Bye." He put down the phone before I could return the farewell.

"Right then." Turning back to the Benedict's. Yves and Zed moved up to the seats to the left of us. "Where were we?" I asked. Karla folded her arms. "That's where we were."

Will's hand appeared on my shoulder. "Mom, dad…"

'It sounds like this is going to go downhill very quickly' Will snorted mid-way through his sentence. I exchanged a smile with him.

Will opened his mouth. "What the hell…?!" Eris walked up beside us. "Have I missed something?"

"Umm, there is something, we should tell you guys." Will said. I clicked my fingers at Eris and pointed to the seat between Zed and Yves. She sat down.

"What did you do?" Zed asked, referring to her bloodied hands and fingers. "Murder someone?"

She looked at him. "Not yet." Karla was getting really impatient and looked very close to murdering the truth out of me.

All eyes were on us. "Mom, dad, guys, meet my soulfinder…Jasper." They went silent. I coughed. "Well then…"

Eris sighed and got up. Walking over to me she enveloped me in a hug, squeezing and rocking me. Pulling back she grinned. "I'm very happy for you." She then hugged Will. "Welcome to our dysfunctional but loving assassin family!" She grinned chirply. Pulling back she shot a death glare at Karla and Saul. "The world must be truly screwed up if a killer will warmly welcome love and the good caring parents shun it like a disease." Karla's jaw dropped. "Talking about being a killer, Chase called. Guess what we're going to do." She turned to Yves. "I'm glad you're okay." And then to Will. "I'm glad my sister has you, but do anything to hurt her. You can bet your bottom dollar I will kill you, and no one will ever find your body."

He saluted her. "You have my word."

"Good!" She grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. "See you later Yves."

_I am so sorry. _I sent Will.

He laughed. _S'ok, she's just protective._

_That's one way of putting it. _

The alley was cold. It was dark and drippy. "When I signed up to be a top-dollar assassin I had visions of luxury hotels and other expensive places not drippy alley ways in artic temperatures." I hissed to Chase standing across from me.

He laughed. "Yea, but what were you 9? 10?"

"12." I replied. I was perched on the ledge of a boarded up window. The rain had just stopped and I was soaking. We were waiting for Eris to bring the target. A sick man with an attraction to young girls. Girls a little too young. He took advantage of them.

The plan was for Eris to ask him for help, make up a story about an unconscious person in the isolated alley behind a warehouse. Hopefully he won't be able to resist the temptation. He was a Savant that had a power over empathy.

Someone screamed. I jumped off the ledge. "Did you hear that?" I asked.

"I heard it." The sound off rapid footsteps approached us. I ran forward and hid in the shadows between two buildings. Eris ran round the corner and ducked into the shadows.

"Filthy bastard, I'm going home to soak in a bath of disinfectant." The man ran through. He stopped when he saw Chase.

We walked out behind him. "What is this?" He gasped, I stared, draining all his energy.

"Your end." Chase said, raising his arm.

"Who are you?" He heaved.

"Shadows." I replied back. The man went flying backwards as Chase's fist collided with his face; falling towards Eris's outstretched hands. He screamed; holding his head his nose started bleeding. Eris slammed her hand through the air; he went rigid.

"He's dead." Chase announced.

"Hmm. Shocker." I said. Chase snorted, Eris burst into laughter. "Can we go now? I'm freezing."

Eris scoffed. "You think you're freezing!?" She gestured to herself. Standing in a body hugging dark pink rose dress, tights, chunky heeled boots and a leather jacket. Chase and I on the other hand were wrapped up warm in leather. Greta and Martin drove the car up the alley way. "That car better be warm!" Eris called when they got out.

"Like an oven." Martin called, we stood over him.

"He's dead?" Greta inquired.

"Yep, all the energy has gone."

"Just to be sure." Martin said, pulling out a gun and aiming it at the man's head; pulling the trigger.

"Did he touch you?" Greta asked.

"He grabbed my hair." Eris said. Greta walked back to the car getting the 'disinfectant' as we called it. An acid place product that burnt away anything human. So this man will be discovered without a hand. Well partly. Not a pretty thought.

"Get in the car, guys." The drive back to Wrickenridge was a two hour journey and it was verging on two by the time we returned.

I dragged Eris up to our room, giving a vague 'night' to everyone else. She was practically asleep. I felt like her mom laying her down, she'll wake up in the night and get under the covers, even if she doesn't the house was toasty so she wasn't going to die of hypothermia. I switched off her light and walked down the hall to my room.

I shouldered the door walking in. "AH!" I jumped, seeing something suddenly move by the window. I hit the light.

"Will?" he was staring at me wide eyed.

"You have a gun?" Didn't release I'd brought that out.

"Yea," I sighed, walking to my bedside drawers and placing it in the top draw, emptying the magazine and placing that in my closet along with the rest of the ammunition. "Greta worries too much." I informed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well you left so abruptly," He smiled. "I wanted to see you again. Words gotten around the family and no one's sure whether to congratulate me or worry about me. My mother – however pleased she is – is still debating whether it's a good or bad thing."

"What do you think it is?" I asked, leaning against the closet as he walked over to me.

"I think it's a very good thing." He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. They tingled. Like an explosion in my stomach. I smiled when he pulled away.

"Good. Unfortunately," I ducked under his arms and walked over to the window. "Eris is the only person of my family because Chase will probably murder one of you if he finds out; Gretaa would through a party…"

"Let's hope your mom and my mom never becomes friends; they'd be unstoppable." Will laughed as I pulled the blinds.

I smiled. "Martin would be really happy about it but secretly worry about what to do. You guys are…I hate to say it, but the enemy. Or you were. My family – including my cousins…"

"You have cousins?" Will asked.

"Yea, heard of the Phantoms?" I asked.

"I should've guessed." I smiled.

"Well they'd be pleased, over the moon. Three of their eight have found their's, but some of the boys would come and scare the life out of you lot; they're quite creepy." I added. Will launched himself onto the bed and settled there.

"Yea, well I wasn't expecting this to be easy. Even before I knew who you were, in my mind noting ever goes plain sailing." He admitted.

"No it doesn't." I replied. "Comfy?" I asked.

"Very." He said, I picked up a book from the window seat where Will was once sat. "It's actually a good book."

"It's actually Eris's, she's a total Pisces, would spend her life in her imagination if we weren't here to pull her out of it."

I inspected the blue and gold jacket of the hardback book. 'The Zodiac Children', twelve teenagers all have the power of their star sign. Eris would be Czynamon, the girl with the power of Pisces. I think I'd be more like Zacharias, described as very cunning, dark, mysterious, secretive, and seductive by Eris. Power over Scorpio.

"You like it?" I asked.

"Yea," He nodded.

"Better than all the criminology and psychology textbooks?" I asked, smiling whilst staring at the binding of the book, my eyes flicking up to him. He had a questioning look on his face. "When we broke into your house, I searched your room."

"Oh,"

"Yea, next time check under the bed." I grinned, placing the book on the drawers and lying down next to him. It was nice, I had a feeling of safety envelope me. The room seemed to be brighter with him here, I seem to be changing, going soft maybe?

"Did your job go well?" Will asked after a few seconds of silence.

"It did," I sighed, deadpan.

He looked at me. "Care to explain?"

I glanced at him. "I would," I shuffled onto my side, resting my head on my elbow to look at him. "But you need plausible deniability. And I can't have someone picking something out of your head…" He turned onto his side. "Your family is going to be called to Denver because they found a Savant who died from a heart attack with a broken face, possible a few broken ribs and missing a good part of his hand." I said like we were talking about the weather. "He deserved to die, paedophile who used his gift on underage girls, ruined their lives and killed a few of them. You lot would have just put him behind bars. We gave the families what they want." I picked at one of the sequins on my decorative pillow.

"I suppose killing an evil person…"

"Don't say is a justifiable reason." I ordered.

"I wasn't…"

"Or anything that tries to vindicate what I do as a good thing." I looked at him. Meeting his dark blue eyes. So innocent. "Cos it's not." I doubt he's seen zilch compared me. "They're not all evil. The Dalton guy at the restaurant he was innocent." I reminded. "I'm a killer, an assassin – meaning we are paid to kill. Doesn't matter who dies. We're have our orders." He sighed. "There is no reason on this earth that could justify what I do, or make it a good thing." Why only now have I realized this? "Your family is right, they should be worried." I sighed rolling onto my back.

"Why?"

"Because I have fun, doing it." Oh god. I'm a cold hearted, murdering, psychopathic bitch.

'No you're not, Jazz,' For once my conscience is being nice. Will pulled me to him.

"I don't care whether you killed Ghandi, you're mine. And nothing, you ever do, will make me stop loving you." He murmured. "I love who you are."

My conscience was as shocked as I was. 'I don't think anyone was expecting that to come from Mr Savant Net'

"You do?" I asked.

"Yea, it makes you who you are. And as I've said, I love who you are. Someone I know has his soulfinder as she's utterly dependant on him and it's kind of freaky like she can't stand on her own two feet. I was starting to panic whether if I ever met my soulfinder I wouldn't be able to cope with someone needing guidance to live their life." I looked up at him. "You're strong and you can stand on one foot on a trapeze wire and still have order and balance in your life. And boy does that make me feel a whole lot better." He stroked my cheek. "My family sees you being a Shadow as a bad thing, I see it as the best thing about you." A debating expression flickered onto his face. "One of the best things about you."

"I have more than one?" I asked. How vain do I sound right now?

"Yes."

I cuddled closer to him. "So do you. I don't think I could have asked for a better soulfinder." He kissed the crown of my head and held me closer. I inhaled his woody scent mixed with aftershave and something that was entirely Will – a warm and comforting smell. His top smelt like fresh air and the mountains.

I inhaled, rolling into a heavy mass. Will. "You're still here."

"So he spent the night?" My eyes snapped open as I sat up. Chase, Zed, Yves and Eris stood at the foot of the bed. Will and I sat up.

"When exactly where you going to tell me?" Chase inquired.

I scratched the back of my head. "Soon." Chase shook his head.

"I wonder if Greta and Martin know." He asked.

"They don't." I replied.

"As I thought." Chase nodded, tapping his chin. I looked at all four of them, wondering what they were going to do. The silence got very awkward, very quickly. I was over-joyed when Eris's nose started to bleed so the attention was to go on her.

"Eris." I pointed to my nose. She touched hers. Cursing she left the room. The boys turned back to us. "It's very creepy that you're just watching us." None of them did anything.

"Why are you here?" Will asked, standing up and taking rank over his brothers.

"We came to make peace." Yves said, Zed bringing his hands together and bowing his head. I locked eyes with Chase. He smiled. I bit back the urge to slap him. I'd drain his energy but then he'd fight back and there was already someone bleeding. "Chase apologised for yesterday but thinks somebody else caused by episode."

"Right." I said, not convinced.

Chase's face changed. "It's true, Jazz, you would've sensed it. My energy didn't even drop when I supposedly tried to do this. Someone else is screwing with Yves. And it's not me."

"Jasper are you up yet?" Greta asked, walking down the hallway. "Oh." She was shocked at all the boys standing around the bed. "Hi boys, didn't realized you were all up here…" Her eyes sat on Will. "I don't remember seeing you come in…Zed isn't it? No, you're Zed, you're W…Will."

"Bravo mother, would you like a trophy?" Chase asked. She frowned at him. Eris reappeared.

"This looks like the beginning of a scene in an R-rated movie." She informed, realizing she'd once again forgotten about her hands. "I'll wash my hands and we can head to school."

The room fell into the trap of an awkward silence. "Right, so…" Everyone started talking at once about what they were going to do. Zed and Chase walked back downstairs with Greta, Yves went toward the bathroom and Will came round to the side of the bed. I shrieked as he picked me up, loud enough to get Yves and Eris running in thinking one of us was being murdered. He set me down on my feet and smiled at Yves and Eris.

"Soulfinders." They muttered together, shaking their heads and walking away.

Will wrapped his arms around me. "Yes we are."


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey readers, **

**How has your day been?**

**If it's been good! Great!**

**I you've had a rough day. The sun will come out tomorrow and if not tomorrow the next day, but I bet your bottom dollar it'll come out one day in the near distant future.**

**So here's a chapter for all you lovely people who read, and even awesomer people who leave comments. This chapter is dedicated to dropsofjupiter1999 (drops of Jupiter is a song and I love it!) and PrettyPearl123, I'm sure you're gorgeous PP123. **

**Please leave a review! If you do, I will dedicate the next chapter too you. **

**Loves, **

**EJ x**

* * *

Friday came around quite quickly, until it was Friday and then it dragged on. Every second a minute, every minute an hour. I ran my hands along the piano ivory hitting random notes to make a song, turning it into the Aladdin theme tune.

"Never took you…" I swung around. Will stood back with his hands in the surrender position.

I sighed, dropping back to the stool. "Do you walk into everybody's house uninvited?" I asked. He laughed.

"Only yours." He smiled. "I know I'm welcome."

"One of these days you'll get killed by one of us." I warned.

"I'll announce myself every time I walk in then." He looked at the piano. "Didn't know you played."

I turned back and showed off. "Well I had to do something when I wasn't killing people, I finished my education at twelve, college by 16; I had to get another hobby; I took up piano, Eris learnt about fifty different languages and Chase learnt to be an obnoxious twat." He laughed.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked.

"Yea, my family are putting up the Christmas decorations tonight and dad thought it would be nice if you came." He smiled.

"Hmm." I started on not only mine but Greta and Eris's as well. Thomas Newman 'Any other name'. One of great things about Will, is he's active and athletic but he can listen. He sat next to me, watching my hands glide along the ivory, intently listening. I always feel like different person playing this piece in particular; something about it brought a calming feel to me, like standing in the middle of a meadow on a summer's day with a slight breeze blowing around.

I sound like Ghandi or mother Teresa or Jane Austen.

"I'll come." I announced, when I finished. A big smile spread across his face.

"Great."

Darkness had fallen by the time Will and I arrived at the Benedict household. Twinkling icicle lights already hung from the roof. From the shadows of the forest, a group of seven dragged a tree towards the house. I started laughing as Victor trying to get the tree through the door. Will started laughing too.

"What happened to the tradition of synthetic trees?" I asked, shaking my head as the Benedict's shoved this tree through the front door, Karla ordering them about from the warmth of the house.

He shook his head. "Never had that tradition." He smiled.

I exhaled. "Am I going to regret this?" I asked.

"Well…it depends how you see 'happy family' time." He smiled. I pushed open the door and climbed out of the Benedict family jeep. He took my hand as we started towards the house. The front door opened and Karla stood, hanging a wreath on the door. At first she was a little surprised, probably because I'd agreed to come and then she smiled warily at me.

"Don't worry mom, she hasn't come here to kill anyone." Will said. She inhaled looking away from me to Will.

"I know." She replied happily. "Come in. Come in." And just like that her aura about me changed from wary to bouncy and bubbly. All the boys looked up as I walked in and for the first time in about a decade I was feeling self-conscious. What have the Benedict's done to me?

"Jasper, you actually came." Trace said astonished.

I nodded. "Yes, I thought it be nice to do Christmas decorations." Karla looked at me in horror.

"You don't put up Christmas decorations?!" She gasped.

I nodded. "Some years we do but we haven't for a couple years." I smiled awkwardly, shrugging my hands into the pockets of my jeans. We couldn't really put them up, we spent last Christmas in a hotel so the hotel

"Well this'll make up for it. When we're finished you'll feel like you're standing in a store selling Christmas decorations." Zed laughed, pulling some lights out of a box and throwing them towards Victor and Trace. Karla frowned at Zed as Saul walked in from the kitchen.

"Jasper! You're here." It's like a massive surprised to everyone that I'm socialising with people instead of killing them.

"Yes I am." I nodded. Then the strangest thing happened. He hugged me. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you." The boys cheered.

"Right then, my littles…"

'Are you kidding me?' Will snorted beside me. We recovered holding innocent smiles on our faces when she looked at us.

"Vick, Uriel, lights, Trace and Will with your father to get the decorations down from the attic. Jasper make yourself comfortable anywhere." She said drastically gesturing to the room with her hands. Will kissed my head before running after Trace and Saul, climbing the steps two at a time. I sat down on a chair, folding my legs beneath me.

Trace, Will and Saul returned with the decorations whilst Victor and Uriel – Victor mainly – were swearing over faulty lighting. Saul and Trace added to this when they went to help the two. Will sat back with me, happily watching them try and wrap lights around a tree. A very big tree. From floor to the ceiling this tree was all natural and very big – have I mentioned that?

"Okay, lights done." And with that announcement the entire family was around it, hanging beautifully ornate decorations. They weren't the normal crap, they were each hand made from different places all over the world.

"Why do hang them all?" I asked after she'd finished telling me the story of the wooden nativity.

"Because it would be an insult to the giver not to hang them." She announced with most of the boys miming it behind her. I was told various versions of funny Christmas stories from various boys. I traced the carvings on the wooden nativity.

I went out into the kitchen with Karla when an argument broke out between the boys and the star at the top of the Christmas tree. She looked up. "Everything alright?"

"They're fighting about who puts the star at the top of the Christmas tree." I informed. She laughed.

"You'd think they would've grown up by now." She smiled. "Did you ever have that problem?"

"Umm…" I started. "It was more complaining, the tradition was Martin would put the star on the tree on Christmas Eve," Karla gave me a curious look. "We never have a chimney, so the Santa coming down one didn't ever fit."

"So what was the story instead?" Karla asked, checking the cooking biscuits that smelt wonderful and the mulled wine heating up on the stove.

"The star would magic Santa into the house from the roof." Karla smiled.

"Zed never believe Santa coming down the chimney as well, we had to think up all sorts of explanations." Karla laughed.

"How long did you know before we told you?" I asked.

"You two found each other the night you broke in." I couldn't help wincing at the memory – however funny – I nodded. "That night." I raised my brow.

"Seriously?"

"Well…" She started the oven pinged and she paused briefly to retrieve the cookies from the oven. "we had our suspicions, Will was different and coming to your house every morning so that kind of gave it away."

"You just seemed so surprised in the hospital." I breathed.

"I think it was the realisation that one of my babies had found his true love." I couldn't help but laugh at that. Karla stared at me, going a little distance whilst she stirred the wine. My eyes flickered around the room as bobbed my head to silent tune; the silence getting heavily awkward. "Such a dark life you've lived."

"I beg your pardon?" I asked the silence having shattered.

"Abandoned at such a young age…" I felt my dead emotions rise up in me.

"MOM!" Will came to my rescue, I breathed out releasing my muscles and unclenching my jaw.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

Will circled his arm around my waist and led me back to the living room. "Mom can read people."

"Right." I. Should. Be. Un. Readable!

Karla brought in a tray of mulled wine and cinnamon biscuits. "Thank you," I smiled warily helping myself to a biscuit. Trace had just finished telling a memory-story when my phone started playing 'the death march'. All eyes suddenly on me. "That'll be my father." They laughed. "Martin?"

"Jasper?"

"Eris?"

"Where are you?" She asked.

"Why do have dad's phone?" I asked.

"He's using the secure line," That wasn't good.

"Hang on…" I got up and walked into another room, locking the door. "What's happened?" I asked.

_Jasper? _Will's voice came into my head like a butterfly's touch.

_Not now._ I felt bad pushing him away. Even if it was just a phone call.

"I don't know but Greta's not answering her phone and dad has asked us to come back to the house immediately." She informed. There was muffled fighting at the other end.

"Jasper, where are you, you need to go home now. We all do."

"Yes, Chase." I said sarcastically. "Put Eris back on I like talking to her."

"This isn't a joke, Jasper." He practically yelled. "Get home as soon as you can." The phone cut off. I exhaled, unlocking the door. Yanking it open, I sent Xav flying across the room.

I sighed in frustration. "Jesus Christ, I thought you guys at the least would know not to do that!" I said.

Xav stood up, rubbing his back. "What you mean stand by a door in our house."

"No, make me jump. Bad things happen when you make a Shadow jump." I replied. Yves and Will agreed remembering the incident with Chase. "I have to go." I announced.

"You do?" Will asked, sadly. It was almost 10, I'd been here since 7.

I swallowed the worry coming up my throat. "Yea," I replied, pushing my hair over my head with my hand. "Something's happened; I need to go home...right now." I grabbed my jacket.

"I'll drive you…"

"No!" I said. I turned around looking up at 9 suspicious and nervous individuals. "I mean, Martin's had to contact a few certain people, if they catch a Benedict…all hell breaks loose."

Will grabbed his jacket, standing his ground. "I'll still drive you."

I sighed. "You're not gonna budge are you?"

He shook his head. "No." I side-stepped him.

"Thank you, I've had a really nice evening and I do apologize for my abrupt departure." Wow, I have been reading too many Jane Austen novels. Mentally face palming myself and sighing. "But it was great to meet you guys on good terms instead of breaking into your house and being caught." I said, mainly to Karla. The boys smiled at the memory.

"It was nice to have you here Jasper." Saul nodded.

'This is getting awkward and our family needs us back' My conscience – who I'd recently name Renee after about an hour's argument – reminded.

"You're welcome anytime," Karla smiled, for the first time I felt like part of this family as she smiled genuinely at me.

I grinned back. "I'm really sorry I have to go." I opened the door and followed Will out to the jeep.

"Call if there is anything we can help you with." Karla added as I opened the car door.

I paused. "Will do."

'Will not! That's stupidly dangerous and you're not stupid enough to do that' Will gave me an exacerbated look. 'If only I could give him a look back'

'Well you can't so quite whining' Will pulled away and shot down the mountain.

"Do you know what's going on?" Will asked after a while of silence.

We drove through the practically empty streets of Wrickenridge, turning onto the winding road that goes around the mountain and up to my house. "No." I admitted. "No I don't; but when Martin uses the secure line it's not good." The secure line was a network of untraceable cell phones that can't be hacked or used as listening devices. No one can get into the conversations, no matter how good. The network changes every six months, then the phones are destroyed.

A purple Nissan Rogue rocketed past us. "They're going to crash." Will said. "I thought you said you didn't put up lights?" Will asked as we pulled up to my house. The purple Nissan Rogue parked on the driveway.

"We don't usually. Thanks for bringing me, but I don't know who's in the Nissan so leave, now." I leant over and pressed my lips to his soft ones. Framing his face in my hands I looked into his eye.

"When you can tell me what's going on." He begged.

"I will." Quickly pecking his lips I climbed out of the Jeep as the door swung open. "What's wrong?" I called, looking over my shoulder as Will reversed slowly out of the driveway. I turned back, Martin was standing in the doorway.

"Someone broke into the house." He announced, I leaped up the front porch stairs and walked in. The house was completely upturned. The glass from the back door that was in the utility room adjoined to the kitchen, was shattered and the kitchen in a mess from people searching the cupboards. The glass dining room was barely broken, probably because you could see everything. Martin's office was turned upside down and the living room was an equal mess. The sofa fabric ripped open, the feather stuffing of the cushions everywhere. Greta was standing the chair upright and re-organizing the desk. Chase was elsewhere in the house, getting a vacuum to clean-up the feathers, Martin went back to his office.

"How was your evening?" Eris called from the stair case. I turned as she stepped down a step onto broken glass.

"It was fun." I replied as she bent down to pick up a frame photo; the glass half broken. It was one of just Chase, her and me. She placed it back on it's nail in the wall.

"Fun?" She inquired, walking down the remainder of the steps.

"Yep."

"Good," She smiled. "Chase got a new car." So it was Chase and Eris in the Nissan Rogue.

I looked at her. "Chase chose a purple Nissan Rogue?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I might have had a little influence." She said, holding up her thumb and index finger with an inch gap between them.

"Someone was looking for something," Martin announced, Chase walked in from the kitchen and Greta leaned in the living room doorway.

"Do you think they found it?" Chase asked.

Martin shrugged. "It's hard to tell."

"Who could it have been?" I asked.

Again Martin shrugged.

"DO you think it's because of us and the Benedict's?" Eris asked. "Do you think we've ruined everything we've built because we got involved with them?" Eris inquired.

"Possibly." Martin replied. "But the SOA will be coming around, we need to stay away from the Benedict's, and they have to stay away from us." I felt my heart sink.

Eris and Chase looked at me. "Jasper…" Chase started. All eyes came to me.

I scoffed. "I found him." I announced, baffling Greta and Martin. "My soulfinder. William Benedict." Greta's face lit up, suddenly the darkness of today's events blown away by the million to one possibility. She yanked me into a bear hug and kissed my cheeks.

"OH! That's amazing!" Greta beamed. "Finally you can feel how I have felt all these years." Of course! Greta and Martin were Soulfinders, not just a married couple. Duh.

"That is truly great." Martin smiled, joining in with the hug.

"Pressures on." Chase mumbled. Martin walked over to him and Eris who were standing side by side.

"You'll find them." He reassured. "Keep believing." He informed. "That was the one thing I never wanted to take away from you," Eris cocked her head at him with a quizzical look. "Your hope of finding your other half."

"Aw, Martin's in touch with his femine side." I sighed.

"It's a good job most boys don't have a feminine side otherwise they wouldn't stop touching it." Eris added. Chase punched her arm playfully.

"OI!"

"It's true, apparently a boy thinks about sex every 15 seconds." She stare at Chase waiting for an answer.

He paused. "That's not true." He stalked off into the kitchen followed by Eris who was cheering: 'That's a big yes baby!'

Martin and Greta turned back to him. "No wonder those boys have been hovering around the house lately." Greta smiled.

"And here's me thinking it was you." Martin said, circling her waist.

"Okay, whilst I'm happy with soulfinder love – which I'm also angry about you not telling us – I'd rather not watch my parents for all intents and purposes make-out." I informed going up the glass ridden steps. "They better of not gone through my room."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, had a bit of trouble with this chapter. **

**Just a reminder of who Renee is should you get confused, Renee is the name of her conscience, I decided to give her a name instead of refer to her as 'my conscience'**

**This chapter is dedicated to . thank you for your review, I have been reading Loving Leanne, your recent updates and chapter edits are amazing. **

**Thanks again for reading 'Hunting Jasper' my day lights up when you review so please, light up a day today and R+R! Danke!**

**EJ x**

* * *

They had been through my room. My clothes were strewn everywhere, bed unmade, anything in a draw or closet was on the bedroom floor. The few pictures I had, had been pulled from their frame and not put back together. I stood in the doorway, staring at my room. Just staring. I was just lingering. Really tired that the clothes blurred in my vision and I just stood there. Rocking in a non-existent draft.

'Maybe, you should get into bed' Renee said.

I inhaled deeply, blinking and refocusing my eyes. "Maybe I should." I replied aloud. "But first…"

I pushed out to Will. _Hello? Will? _No reply. 'Maybe he's sleeping' I picked up my phone and dialed his number. NO answer.

'Maybe he's in space'

_YO BUDDY! _I screamed.

I felt Will and probably every Savant within a 20 mile radius jolt up with the killer scared out of them and a bad headache. _Jasper?_ Will's sleepy and confused voice came into my head like a butterfly's touch, soft and silky. Unlike Chase's who - to Yves - felt like someone marching or Eris who was more like a fairy that didn't stop flying around my head. And people wonder why and how I got such strong shields. I feel sorry for my cousins, the Clasen's who have not two adopted siblings, but eight.

_Yes, me hearty fellow. _Obviously I wasn't tired enough have a little fun as I collapsed onto the bed.

_Did…what…? _

'Is it weird I find his confusion cute?' I asked Renee internally.

'Yes, super creepy' She replied.

_Sorry, I couldn't get hold of you. _I said, rolling back to my feet.

_So you blast us out of our minds? _I could help grinning even though I could feel him sigh on the other end of the link. _What's the 411 on your situation?_

_Someone broke in to the house, it's nothing._ I replied, picking up the Zodiac book and a couple of clothing items.

_Didn't sound like nothing when you left. _He said, reminding me of the urgency I had showed in getting home, earlier this evening.

I laughed. _I know, I was expecting someone to have been murdered or something._ I replied truthfully. _But sometimes a break in is just as bad. _

_How so? _Will inquired.

_Well, we have sensitive material here. Apart from us._

_You're not sensitive. _Will laughed truthfully.

_I'm not am I? _I asked.

I'm impulsive. Sarcastic. Violent. Oh and let's not forget the part of me being a highly-paid Savant Assassin with a professionally killing family. Two love-struck parents, an obnoxious, moody also violent twenty three year old brother along with an odd teenage girl who should probably be tied to a bed in an asylum somewhere.

_No, you're just amazing. _He replied. I couldn't help but smile at his sweetness as I put away the clothes on the floor. The perks of having a soulfinder.

_Thank you. _

_You want me to come over? _

Ah. Will so sweet and gentleman like. _No thanks, I need to do a few things. Sorry if I woke you up._

_No, you didn't. You've just given mom and dad a bad headache. Breaking through their barrier and all._

Is it bad that I'm feeling sorry? _Greta and Martin don't hold a barrier around the house._ I informed.

_That's because no one is stupid enough to try and get in. _Will joked, why do I feel empty without him beside me?

'More like why have you gone stupidly soft?' Renee asked. I sighed.

I paused before replying to Will. _Someone did, usually Eris, Chase and I hold it around the house, we can do a lot more damage and people can't get through. _Will laughed. _You coming round tomorrow?_

_Bright and early. Goodnight. _

_Night. _I shut off the link. I combed the sides of my hair back with my fingers, leaving my hands on my head, exhaling. "Love you." I muttered to the air.

"Isn't that cute." I spun around to the deep voice. Chase lent against the door-frame. Hair mussed from sleep, clothes creased. His arms folded on his chest, a twisted smile on his face. I frowned at him.

"You're just jealous." I smiled darkly.

His brow raised. "Jealous?" He inquired, moving into the room. "Why would I be jealous of a Benedict?" He chuckled inspecting the Zodiac Book. I followed him as he walked further into the room; eyeing him carefully.

"Not because of that…" I stated. "Because I proved your theory wrong."

"Theory?" He asked.

"That Soulfinder's don't exist." I reminded.

He laughed. "Yea, despite Martin's best efforts," He picked up something else.

I narrowed my eyes. "What's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You're different. Acting weird." I informed. Chase raised his eyebrow. He laughed again.

'What's gotten into him?' Renee asked.

'Not a clue'

"Get out Chase," I ordered, giving him a dark look. He walked up to me and pushed back his shoulders, towering over me.

"Or what?" I told him to get lost colorfully. "Is it nice, to have such a perfect soulfinder?"

"It's great and he is perfect thank you for asking. Now go away."

'What is wrong with him?' I asked, internally when Chase didn't move a muscle.

'Everything'. There was a new glow about Chase, his energy was a bit stronger, brighter. Warmer. Yet he was being colder towards me. He stepped closer and I prepared to defend myself as I felt it was coming ridiculously close to him lashing out. "Get out," I ordered, shoving him away. He pushed back.

"Don't piss me off, Jazz." Chase warned.

"You've already pissed me off, so it's only fair!" I slapped him hard across the face.

"HEY!" Martin yelled, pulling Chase away as he went to fight back. "What is wrong with you?" He turned to me. "Both of you?!"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Greta cut me off. "I think you need down time." She said. "All of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"No more jobs, not till the new year at least." Greta said in an end of conversation no exceptions tone of voice. Martin – although not entirely pleased with the new rule – nodded.

Chase shrugged Martin off. "Since when did you become my mum?" He asked, stalking out the room. The hurt that flashed across Greta's face, was more obvious than she wanted it to be.

"No more jobs?" I inquired.

Greta nodded. "Yes."

I nodded, chewing on the inside of my lip. "Like, none." Greta returned my nod. "Great."

I'm not sure whether this was a good thing. Or a bad thing.

Like Will had said, he was here bright and early. But Will had pitched up with Yves, Victor, Saul and Karla who was carrying a dish of some sort of casserole.

"Our house was broken in to, our kitchen weren't blown up!" Chase reminded. Chase stood in the corner of the room, arms folded with a dark intimidating look on his face as he stood in the shadows of the room.

Greta frowned. "Be Nice!" She snapped, turning back to Karla. "Thank you." Greta smiled. "It's very kind of you."

Karla laughed. "You're welcome, we just thought you guys had had a rough time it might be nice to relax." Karla smiled. Eris and Yves had disappeared to do 'homework' a while ago. I honestly hope they are doing homework. It's already a struggle with Will and me, them on top, Karla would have a heart attack. I guess two of her precious babies dating two killers isn't exactly what she had in mind when she dream't about their futures whilst holding them as tiny bundles. My parents on the other hand.

I hadn't even noticed that Karla was being stupidly nice, or that Victor and Saul were acting suspicious. Until Victor left, with a soft announcement of needing the bathroom, the others had relocated to the pentagonal conservatory at the end of the dining room. When it rained, it sounded great in the conservatory, if Greta ever pulled us into yoga or meditation it was often during a storm and used the rain as a relaxant. Unfortunately neither Eris or I are that flexible and yoga become quite a painful experience when Greta pushes us. When Will went to find Yves and Eris, I took the opportunity to follow his brother without Will questioning my motives.

I found Victor walking into Martin's office. I lent against the door, looking at my recently done nails that matched Eris's, except hers were shorter, mine were much longer, black polish decorated with a little pink glitter and a thin line of shimmering gold at the tip. "Last time I checked..." I started. Victor's head snapped up from the stack of paperwork. "...the FBI had to have obtained a warrant to search a premises," Victor sighed, straightening up. "What would happen should I report you?" Victor remained silent, his steel-tipped gaze one me. I felt a small smile creep onto my face. "For an FBI agent, you're quite the idiot." I laughed. "Can I get you something? Help you find a bit of evidence that links us to some recent murders slash disappearances."

"Are you admitting to involvement?" He asked.

I looked at him, my eyes hard, my gaze lethal. "Nice try but I never said that." I pushed off the door-frame, shaking my head and tutting. "Twisting words?" I asked. "Not a good quality." I walked into the office. "This is paper work. That's it. We don't keep anything as important as that on paper."

He folded his arms. "Where do you keep it then?" He asked.

'Seriously?' Renee asked.

'Renee, shut up' I ordered.

"In the volts." I smiled.

"Where are they?" He asked. Chase walked up.

"Where are what?" He inquired, looking at Victor then me.

Not taking my eyes off Victor but moving to stand against the door again I asked Chase. "Where are the volts?" Chase chuckled, patting the crown my head in the tune of 'ba-dum-tiss' like a drum.

"In our heads." Chase replied.

"With me." I ordered, turning on my feet and walking out. Chase standing to the side of the doorway, smiling at Victor as he walked out. Battling height with each other. "WILL! YVES! ERIS! GET DOWN HERE!" I heard them walk along the attic landing and down the stairs, Eris jumping down them, about 4 at a time.

I walked into the conservatory, Victor, Will, Yves, Chase and Eris following closely. Karla, Saul, Martin and Greta looked at me, Greta's mouth still open from replying to Karla. "Jasper, darling, everything alright?" Greta asked.

"Let's get one thing clear," I started when everyone but Eris and Chase were in front of me. "We don't keep anything compromising or incriminating or any sensitive material concerning who and what we are IN THIS HOUSE! Am I clear?!" I announced. "Yes we've searched your house, but that is what bad guys do. You are the law-abiding good guys which means you don't go through other peoples stuff unless you have the right paper work." I threw a look at Victor. "Chase tell me what it says on the door to our father's office." I demanded, without looking at him.

Chase stood behind me to the left, his arms folded. "Private." He informed.

"And going into private property is what Eris?" I asked.

"Trespassing." She replied, standing behind me to the right as well.

"And what do we do to trespassers?" I say, gesturing with my arms to Chase and Eris behind to me.

"Kill them." They said together. Martin was not pleased with the Benedict's, Greta wasn't entirely pleased with us.

Greta put her drink down and stood up. "What's going on?"

"We just caught Agent Victor of the F-B..." Chase added in a colorful swear word for effect, before continuing with the alphabet of American security. "...I, going through the papers in your office." Karla and Saul looked displeased tinged with guilt, Yves quite shocked and Will positively horrified.

"We will not be pressing charges." Eris informed.

"On the fact that you tell us what is going on!" I ordered.

Saul interjected before they could irritate me more. "There have been a few murders, of Savants, over the past few days, more than usual. And ever since you arrived."

"So that instantly makes us guilty?" Martin asked.

"We are innocent till proven guilty." Eris reminded.

"And despite your best attempts you have yet to prove anything." Greta smiled.

'I bet she's secretly enjoying this' Renee sang in my head.

'We don't need to bet, we know she is'

"They fitted your MO, we just wanted to know if we are going to catch the killer or not." Victor admitted.

"Well it's not us." Chase reminded. "And it won't be till next year, we've been put on temporary hiatus."

"But if it's not you who is it?" Karla asked. We shrugged.

"You could have just asked," Greta said.

"Yea unfortunately we're family now." Chase sighed unhappily.

I turned to him with a 'oh-no-you-didn't' look on my face. "Honey, you don't have to be." I replied. "I'm sure the Benedict's would be tremendously grateful if you didn't." I felt a small but painful impact hit my brain. I stumbled. swearing colorfully at him.

"That is not important." Martin announced, referring to Chase and I. "But, I hope we can come to some agreement. We shall stay in the light and good for the time-being till you find this killer, in return we would like to be kept in the loop with the investigation and the murders."

"Just in case we need to step in and do what the Savant Net has the inability to do." Eris added. My is head aching badly right now, and I can feel my mood getting quite foul.

They agreed. "Good, glad that feud is over." Karla said clapping her hands.

The looks she must have gotten from our family had the Benedict's sighing away her behavior.

'Feud? Is that what she calls this?' Renee stated.

'Apparently so.'

"How about to seal the deal, we spend Christmas as a fam..."

"NO!" Eris and Chase chorused together and left the conservatory.

"No, thank you, but we don't particularly celebrate Christmas." Greta informed.

"Oh dear why not?" Karla inquired.

'Does this woman get into everyone's business? Or just the people she once detested?' I asked internally.

'I can't answer that one' Renee replied.

'So there is a first time for everything'

"Bad memories." I say and leave the room.

Will caught up with me, apologizing about his family. They left not long after, minus Yves who stayed behind for Biology homework. Greta insisted they do it in the lounge. Seems I'm not the only one with suspicions.

Martin left for a conference in Utah later that day and then Chase left about half an hour before sunset. I seemed to be the only on who's mind was whirling about the murders.

"I mean, of course they'll think it's us. Jesus even I would assume it's us but I don't think that he's telling us the whole picture." I said to nothing but air whilst pacing my room.

"Speaking about Jesus; ask him if you're going mad." Eris said, standing in the doorway. I looked for Yves. "He's gone."

I nodded. "Well?" I asked.

"Well what?" She replied inviting herself into my bedroom.

"The murders, what do you think?"

"You've really gotten worked up about this."

"That's not answering my questions." I said, receiving a look from Eris.

"They're murders, Savant or not the police will check already convicted killers."

I turned around and pointed at her. "But we're not convicted killers."

"NO, but we are well known killers."

"Could somebody be trying to frame us?"

"They'd have to be stupidly smart and be taking a hell of a risk, every Savant remembers the last one who tried."

I nodded. "But, somebody _is_ trying to frame us."

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**Hey guys! Tell me what you think!** **  
**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys, had a severe case of writers block and my Japanese tutor is giving me a load of bull at the moment so life obviously hates me at the moment, which is why my friend and I got these T-shirts that just say 'LIFE' on them and tomorrow we are standing on street corners handing out lemons. **

**Do you get it? **

**Haha. Anyway, sorry it's a short chapter but I wanted to upload something so reveiw, tell me what you think, critisize it, help me make it better, compliment it, increase my love for it. Whatever. **

**Hope you enjoy**

**EJ x**

* * *

It's like they have the inability to arrive after 11 o'clock, it was eight in the damn morning and I was sitting at the dining room table with the rest of my family, Will, Victor and another Savant FBI agent. I wanted to yell: It's Sunday for crying out loud, why are you up!? I'm supposed to be sleeping! Or having a lie in. Or something.

I didn't. Something in their so obvious expressions of withering determination and frustration with a hint of worry told me my complaining wasn't needed at this moment in time.

Greta sat at the far end by the entrance to the conservatory. Martin next to her, his elbow on the arm of the chair his hand cupping his face with 'I-am-super-bored' written all over his distant facial expression. Chase was next to him, eating cereal like it was going out of fashion, then me and then Eris who looked like an anime doll in her dress and hair bow.

We all had a piece of paper in front of us; Chase and Eris had been handcuffed to a chair. Apparently he'd had been told a numerous amount of times that at each interaction with the Benedict's they had tried to kill someone. Or threatened to. The guy - Mr Patrick Folly - was taking no chances.

"I'm still not happy to have him here." Martin said, referring to Mr Folly. Shaggy blonde hair, dim blue eyes and a gaunt face which didn't do much in hiding his emotions. They guy was on the verge of running away. Screaming.

"So..." Chase started, halfway through a mouthful of cereal. "You want us to write a list of whoever might want to frame us?" Chase finished his mouthful. "Each?"

I exhaled, laughing, leaning forward and putting my head on the table. "It would be quicker and easier for all of us to just make a list of who doesn't hate us." Folly looked at me.

It had been a week since we were told about the murders. Eris had finished for Winter Break on Friday and we were home-free for a few weeks until school restarted. Will and I had spent every day together, I love skiing now; Chase had gotten happy when he was here but was spending a lot of time out and about. Martin was working on something serious happening in Utah and Greta had changed, and now sounded more like one of us, a Shadow, than a timid woman caught in the crossfire.

"Okay," Mr Folly said, sitting down across from us. "Tell us, do you know anyone who would do this?" We stayed silent apart from Chase shoveling more of his cereal into the hole in his face with his free hand.

Victor pulled out a folder from his briefcase. He cleared his throat as he opened his folder. "Let's start with the worst people you've killed,"

"The FBI must be worse than we thought if that's all you have on people we supposedly killed," Chase smiled, a dribble of milk on his chin. Mr Folly was itching to get out the door but probably didn't want to risk running past Eris and Chase.

"Also…" I started, all eyes now on me. "How do you know we've killed all of the people on your list?" I asked.

"Just go with me, we're trying to help you." Victor sighed.

"We don't need any help, especially not from the Savant Net." Martin threw back.

Victor started anyway. "Did you kill Javier Rodriguez? Or Jason McFarland?"

"It is possible, I do not remember all of their names." Eris commented. "I apologize Greta…"

"For what…?" Eris yanked her cuffed hands, ripping the arms of the wooden chair off. Mr Folly's expression was filled with fear and anxiety.

"I really needed a sugar hit." She left the room. She left the room in a hollowing silence. A few seconds later we heard AKB48's 'Maybe' singing from the sound system in her room.

Victor sighed but obviously wasn't planning on retrieving her back. "Can we make this as painless as possible?" Victor asked, seriously considering adding a 'please' onto the end of that plea.

"We could, but where's the fun in that?" I asked.

"I give up." Mr Folly announced and left the room.

Victor stood up and looked at us. "It's most likely Bobby Roberts." Martin informed.

"Or Janine Halliday." Greta added.

Victor scribbled them down. "Thank you very much, we'll see ourselves out."

"I would like a new chair please." Greta called. "Or I'll sue the FBI,"

Victor's normal steel-tipped expression was now smothered in frustration. "Your daughter broke it." Victor reminded.

"You cuffed her to it." Greta argued. He sighed and stalked out the house. "I guess I'll have to get the lawyers involved."

"It's a chair darling." Martin replied.

"I know but I just love the look of irritation on a Benedict's face, it's quite gratifying."

'Well, that's a personality change I did not see coming.' The great Renee returns.

Will cleared his throat and stood up, we looked away from the door to him. "Right then…um…" He rubbed his thighs before maneuvering around the table. "There is a Christmas Ball, at the Rodenheim Arts Center that everyone is invited to. Including you guys. Mom wanted _me_ to invite you because she knew Victor wouldn't." He looked at me. "Maybe you'll consider coming?" Eyes went from Will to Martin.

"When is it?" Martin inquired.

"Tuesday."

"Christmas Eve." Martin said, tapping his chin as he had an internal debate. "Sure. We'll see." Martin nodded carefully. Will smiled. Hesitating before quickly placing his lips to mine and leaving me wanting more. The front door shut, Eris's music switched off in the middle of 'Aitakatta', silence filled the house.

"Are we actually going to the party?" Chase asked, we were all still staring at the doorway which Eris was now framed by.

I clicked my fingers in his general direction. "Ball." I corrected.

"Whatever."

Martin inhaled deeply. "No."

"Yes." Greta added, we all looked at her. "We came here for a reason, Martin. We have to keep up appearances as a normal family. We are going to that ball." Greta announced, rising from her chair. "End of discussion."

"Wasn't gonna start." We defended.

Monday, Greta – returning to her caring and mothering nature - dragged us all out to Denver. The day was surprisingly relaxing. I spent the entire time sitting in a coffee shop ordering the same icey-coffee drink over and over, whilst talking to Will and flicking through the magazine's Chase had so kindly acquired for me before vanishing and Eris kept going back to swap the books in the library that she was getting through so quickly.

Tuesday I actually slept a full 12 hours, sleeping from ten till ten. A good lay in. Eris brought me a few pancakes and then climbed into bed with me to sit and chat.

We were both reading when Greta walked in taking the books out of our hands and throwing them behind her. Mine was 'Eat, Pray, Love' one I'd taken from one of the many bookshelves in this house, Eris was 'the psychology of serial killers'. Probably trying to find us in there.

"Right, my beautiful girls, time to prep." She announced.

_Dare I ask what she means by 'prep'? _Eris asked telepathically.

_Dare you not. _

"Jasper, you're in the shower first, Eris you're to finish you Korean before anything else happens." I knew immediately Eris was planning to never be done but Greta hitched onto that as well. "I want it done by three." She waltzed out the door leaving her orders lingering in the air. "Chop, chop! Ladies!" She yelled clapping her hands which echoed loudly down our hallway.

"I hate doing the Korean work, Kimball always gives me the hard questions." Eris moaned rolling out of bed onto the floor. Her hobby was languages and she had tutors for each of them. Savant Net tutors. Kimball didn't exactly like Eris after a little incident a few years ago. Need I say more?

I pulled myself to the bathroom. The Argon Oil shampoo and conditioner were lined up on the shelf in the wall at the back. The bathroom was black and white themed, like the kitchen. It didn't exactly fit with the rest of the house's decor and feel but it felt great to shower in. I turned on the hot water and stripped off my pajama shorts and tank. Pulling my hair out of the ponytail I stepped in and let the hot water run over me. Relaxing my muscles and practically suffocating me with heat. I was reminded of the hotel back in New York at the beginning of the month. I lathered on the soap and then washed my hair before just standing there. Tonight was the Christmas thing at the Arts Centre and Greta obviously wanted to make a good impression. Not that we didn't go through this palaver every time we go out.

'Speak of the devil' Renee announced as Greta walked into the bathroom.

"Oi!" I yelled. "I locked that door! Greta you know the rules, you made them!" I reminded.

"I know, you were just taking too long."

"My apologises."

"Have you washed your hair?"

"Yes."

"Body?"

"Yes." I replied back, jumping away from the glass walls of the curved shower cubicle which were surprisingly cold.

"Face?"

"Yes."

"Then get out." I watched the shower tap turn off and the water cut out. Greta closed her eyes and looked the other way holding out a pale green towel towards me. I took it and quickly wrapped myself up. "Dry off. Quickly. And meet me in your bedroom."

'Did that sound as creepy to me as it did to you?' Renee asked.

'Don't know what you're talking about.'

Greta had left underwear and underwear only in the bathroom. The bra was strapless which meant my dress was too.

Greta pinned my hair up with two jeweled combs and applied natural make-up to my face, fortunately I was bolder with Greta and had more power which meant I wasn't her living doll. Eris hated me for it. Often calling me a traitor when I got out of things.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a flowing soft navy blue material, decorated with a white beaded snowflake like pattern. The dress, as I suspected, was strapless and came to my knees. I wore a pair of stilettos which felt quite odd considering we usually wear the chunky Gothic kind. The Jeweled Sapphire decorated combs matched the dress; Martin and Chase had already complimented me.

I turned around to the soft sound of feet coming down the stairs. The floor sweeping dress of silky pastel pink material beneath black mesh covered Eris's body, then black illusion sleeves a little too long; ending to her knuckles. Her yellowy undertone skin was now a natural Calico and she looked lovely. Her framed but her now brunette hair tumbling around it in curls and her full fringe.

The cuts on her arms were still there, healing slower than the ones on her face with were now faint silvery scars, so her arms were still bandaged. I'd forgotten about the one on my head using the mirror that had recently been hung on the wall between the lounge and the dining room, I checked my forehead and found the thin shiny line.

"Right then, ladies and gentleman," Greta announced, clicking down the stairs efficiently in her bright red heels. Greta somehow got herself ready between doing us, wear a striking red dress that complimented everything about her with a pendant around her neck. "Let's go." I linked arms with Eris as we went out to the car. Chase was behind us, IPod already blasting music through his headphones, hands shoved into the bottoms of his black suit. Martin was a little more casual than Chase's James Bond approach, wearing a dinner jacket, white shirt and jeans. His hand never left the small of Greta's back.

We climbed into the Audi. "Right let's get this over and done with." Chase sighed looking out the window his music still blasting, we could hear it word perfect. No one bothered replying to him, Greta gave him a hard stare in the mirrors.

We pulled out of our dark driveway and got onto the wet roads of Wrickenridge.

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**I know these chapters haven't been very exciting but I have a plan, I know how the story ends already, and the next chapters will start to get interesting. Stay tuned!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter. I was listening to Don't Deserve You by Plumb whilst writing this, maybe you should give it a listen?**

**This chapter is dedicated to book-lover-book, thank you for your review, and PrettyPearl123 I hope you like the ball. **

**EJ x**

* * *

The Arts centre had a roof line that echoed the dark mountains behind. Sliced in half by two irregular glass pyramids, lit up with a wash of blue. The glowing shapes were a dramatic difference to the dark blue sky littered with stars.

Martin pulled the car to a halt in the car park by the arts centre, killing the engine. Couples, families, loners, walked toward the building. All dressed formally, on woman walked in front of the car with her husband. a pale blue shawl hung between the creases of her elbows, wearing a matching frosted blue dress. Her husband's hand lingering on the small of her back. We all got out of the car, the cold air felt like needles attacking my skin.

"Right." Greta said as we started walking. "Eris, book," Eris handed over the hard back. "Chase..." Chase was still listening to his eardrum shattering rock music. "Chase!" She cuffed his arm with the back of her hand. His eyes darted to meet hers. "IPod." She said, exaggerating her mouth movements and gesturing with her fingers to hand it over. He sighed, pulling the buds from his ears and handing it over reluctantly. "Behave, smile, and try not to kill anyone." She ordered in a breezy voice, taking Martin's hand as we walked up to the entrance.

Everyone else wearing similar to us. Beautiful women in long flowing gowns; suits for the men. Even they little kids were wearing pretty little dresses and miniature 3-piece suits. We walked in through the vast entrance. Some were already dancing, swirling around like they knew what they were doing. Others were just mingling around, interacting and just admiring the artwork that decorated the place. A live orchestra of people who looked no older than Eris were playing Christmassy sounding songs, but more elegant.

The centre was large with the glass pyramid roof, you could see the stars, the room was dimly lit. A fairy-light lit bar on the left wall, the constant drone of chatter, clinking glasses. Waiters and waitresses sliced through the crowd handing out refreshments and snacks ranging from cubes of feta cheese and olives on sticks to spicy Mexican snacks.

"Well this…" Chase started. "Is the opposite of what I was expecting."

"And what were you expecting?" I asked.

"The opposite of this." He replied. I scoffed, shaking my head.

Eris skipped ahead. "Tina!" She called.

A girl with caramel skin and a fiery ginger mane of dreadlocks looked up from her post at the welcome table. "E?" Tina gasped. "It can't be! Eris Johansson?!"

Eris looked quite confused. "Yea,"

"Oh my god, you look so different!" Tina grinned, giving Eris multiple once overs.

"Thank you." Eris smiled. "You look great as well, see Zoe and I were right, you look great in yellow!" Eris informed, hugging Tina. Tina probably stood out the most in her lemon yellow strapless, it was long and made of flowy material.

"This must be the famous family that no one knows anything about." A girl the same height as Eris announced coming over. Slick black hair and of Chinese decent.

Eris cleared her throat. "Yea, this is my brother Chase and my sister Jasper. MY parents, Martin and Greta." She introduced.

"Well it's great to finally meet you," Tina grinned.

"You guys don't look much like each other." Zoe pointed out, taking in our family.

"I'm Tina and this is Zoe." Tina announced, distracting us from Zoe's statement. "My shift will be done in a few minutes so I'll catch up with you E,"

"Okay." Zoe linked her arm with Eris and pulled her away toward a boy with a shaved head and a rich roast coffee complexion.

I stayed by Martin and Greta, even Chase felt a little out of place as we stood together. Chase kept glancing over at Eris instinctively. She was laughing with her friends, fiddling with the layered black ribbon decor around her waist.

I caught the eyes of many people, inquiring to others about who we were. An elderly woman with white flecked black hair, a dark complexion like Eris's friend and bizarre blue earrings matching the skirt-suit she wore, dinner jacket, blue blouse and long pleated skirt marched up to us, efficiently holding four glasses of champagne in her hands.

"You must be the Johansson's?" She inquired. "I expect you are over twenty-one because I have come bearing champagne for you," She said to Chase whilst handing Greta and Martin the narrow glasses. To me she held out the final glass of clear liquid. "It's sparkling water, though now I'm closer you both look like you should be in school." She said to Chase and I. I thanked her taking the sparking water.

"Jasmine?" She inquired.

"Jasper," Greta corrected quickly.

"Jasper," The woman repeated, analyzing me as well as my name. "And Chase." We nodded, all knowing where this was going. "And your youngest, is Aries?"

"Eris." Greta corrected again.

"Interesting names." The woman nodded, her face clearly showing her distaste for such ghastly names. Hehe.

"Speaking of, what is yours?" Chase asked, politely.

"May. Hoffman." She announced. "That's my grandson over there." She pointed to the boy with Eris. "Nelson." Now I see the resemblance. Hers and a few others attention was caught at the door. "Dear me, they've all turned up. Stay away from them, you hear me. They're bad company to keep. Look at them, turning up dressed for a funeral." She warned and took off over to Nelson, Eris, Tina and Zoe.

"I think I should go protect Eris from that woman." Chase suggested.

Everyone was still staring. I turned around to see what the big commotion was. I grinned. The whole Benedict family.

"Isn't that a sight," Tina exhaled dreamily.

"The entire Benedict clan." Announced Zoe who was now standing next to us with Eris and Tina, seeking asylum from May Hoffman. "Something big must be going on if they're all back."

We kept quiet. I silently exchanged looks with Eris. "Maybe a birthday?" Chase suggested, knocking back the remainder of his glass.

"Hmm." Tina added.

MY eyes zeroed in on Will instantly, all the boys dressed smartly in suits, Karla in a little black dress. _You came. _Will beamed.

_Yea. _I smiled. _Couldn't miss this. _

He chuckled. _You look beautiful. _"Oh my god they're looking at us. Oh my god they're coming towards us." Zoe panicked.

_Thank you. _I smiled, a felt my cheeks blush a little.

"Chill, Zoe." Eris cooed.

_You're welcome. _Will, Yves, Karla and Saul came over to us

"Easy for you to say, you and Yves are like best buds!" She reminded, bumping shoulders with Eris.

"I'm pleased you came," Karla smiled genuinely. Greta started to reply as they moved away. Martin and Saul following cautiously.

Will smiled at me, enveloping me in his arms. "Wait you guys know each other?" Tina asked, eyebrows raised.

"Why do you think Eris and I get along so well?" Yves asked. I watched Zoe change as Yves looked at her, she smiled and blushed at his presence and looked very starry eyed.

"Yves how good are you at dancing?" Eris asked.

His eyebrows quirked. "Not to bad. You?"

"I'm great at dancing," She replied. "And I hear Zoe is as well." Zoe blushed a furious red.

"E are you thirsty?" Tina asked.

"T, I'm parched." They linked arms and walked off, leaving Yves and Zoe in a very awkward situation. He looked at me and Will. I shook my head.

"Have fun." Will said, clapping Yves's shoulder. Will and I walked away, leaving them too it. "Would you like to dance," Will asked, when a slower more romantic than Christmas song started.

"Urm…" I laughed nervously as he spun me beneath his arms. "No, definitely not." I smiled, he brought me closer to him and turned us around.

"Sure?" He held his hand out slightly to the side, hand now on my hip. I placed mine on his shoulder and slipped my hand into his. Nothing fancy happened, no waltz or breath-taking ballroom. He just rocked us. I stared up at him. Looking at his deep blue eyes.

'Could we have gotten a better soulfinder?' Renee asked.

'No, that's impossible' I reassured. There is not another Will out there. I've never been much of a dancer, and always wished for the music to end quicker than it did. The one time, I want it to last a thousand years, it's over very quickly. The musci finished and people applauded. He put his arm around my bare shoulders, kissing my hair.

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, rubbing my arm.

"I can't be. It's really hot in here." I replied, fanning myself.

Will squeezed me. "No that's just you." I chuckled. "This is really odd, I feel like I've been transported back to an age in time where people danced for fun." He said, the music having started up again.

I looked around. Tina and Nelson were standing by the refreshments bar, arguing. Yves and Zoe were mucking around whilst 'dancing', I watched Eris teach Chase how to dance a little. Because Chase was born with two left feet. Saul was treating Karla like a princess and my parents were doing the same.

There were twinkling lights along the white walls adding a magical effect to the room, a Christmas tree at the back with flashing colored bulbs; young children picking up the fake presents beneath the tree hoping to strike gold. Teenagers from the local high school lounged around by the refreshments bar, I was hoping they were spiking the punch bowl; that would be a lot of fun.

It really was hot. And getting hotter. I had a headache spreading through my brain like a wild fire. A crying child that I hadn't heard before was now echoing through my head. I swayed on my feet, widening my eyes to get back into focus. "Jasper?" Will said concerned, tensing to hold me steady. "Are you alright?" His voice bounced in my head like a bouncy ball, vaulting off the walls of my skull.

"I have a headache." I said, rubbing my forehead.

'That's putting it lightly' Renee said increasing the pain in my head. It hurt for my own conscience to talk to me.

'Shut up' I hissed back.

'I'm in pain too' Renee informed.

'Well shut up' I snapped.

I'm arguing with myself whilst my head is killing me. Literally. Hammering me to an early grave from the inside out.

"Come on, let's go outside." Will walked be through the room with the ever increasing temperature. He pushed open the glass doors and led me outside.

The cold air hit me like a bag of hardened cement. I felt my head spin faster and found myself keeling over and throwing up within seconds. Will rubbed my back; holding my hair until I'd finished. I gasped, coughing, spitting away the nasty taste. "You feeling better?" He asked, softly.

"I'm suing that Hoffman woman." I announced, breathing the crisp night air deep into my lungs.

"Why?" Will laughed, wrapping his arms around me and bringing me to my feet.

"I think she spiked my drink." I clung onto Will, my legs turning to jelly the instant I put weight on them but I was definitely feeling better. My head was back on straight, the headache gone.

Will threw his head back and laughed. "Yea, you know the Hoffman's, crazy party animals. Mrs Hoffman is the worst." Will replied sarcastically, continuing to tell me Mrs Hoffman's ultimate plan and something to do with the president. Then he stopped suddenly.

"Will?" I asked. "Are you going to throw up now?" I chuckled. His face was panicked and alert. Eyes darting all over the place. Lips pressed in a thin line, his arms tightened around me. "Will?" I repeated his name, this time with authority and concern lacing my voice.

"We need to go back inside." He said urgently.

"Why?" I replied. He didn't reply but started herding me towards the entrance. I dug my heels in. Literally. "I'm not moving till you tell me what's going on."

He turned to face me. "You know I can sense danger?" He said, staring straight into my eyes. His lovely dark blue eyes that I could get lost in on a daily basis.

'Keep with the game!' Renee snapped.

"Yes, yea, I remember." I replied.

"Well right now…" THUD! Will dropped to the floor.

"WI…" A gloved hand clapped over my mouth and tightly around my stomach. Hot breath tickled my ear; tough stubble scratched my cheek. My instincts kicked in when a man hoisted an unconscious Will upright. I went rigid.

"Good…" I brought my elbow up; colliding with his face, I spun and ducked throwing the guy to the floor; the best I could, I'm a nineteen year old girl not a twenty five year old male. Another guy came up behind me, it was hard to see them; dressed in black against the darkness of the night. I threw my elbow behind me and swung a punch. I fight hard, kicking on in the stomach and using my elbows and knees more than my fists and feet. I go for one coming at me, grabbing his shoulders I yank him forward, colliding my knee with his private area and brought my elbow down onto his spine, using their energy to boost my strength.

However much of a fight I put up, I was quickly over powered. Crushed against another chest; hot breath fanning over my bare skin, the stubble was pressing against my face; my hair was grabbed, my head jerked back; I felt something cold press against my throat. "You're going to be a good girl." He heaved breathless, his breath was foul and bringing up anything left in my stomach. I swallowed to keep it down. "And you're going to come with us, quietly," He tugged harder on my hair. The cold metal was pressed harder against my throat. The stinging feeling that followed told me, I had a knife pressed to my throat. "Or we'll kill your soulfinder."

Will.


	14. Chapter 13

**I know this is only short but I had to update so I could do this:**

**AHHHHHHHHH! THE SECOND SAVANT SERIES IS COMING OUT! WE GET TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE OTHER BENEDICT BROTHERS AND MORE! AHHH! THE FIRST ONE IS MISTY FALLS, MISTY AS IN CRYSTAL'S NEICE! AHHH I CAN'T WAIT!**

**WHO FEELS THE SAME!? PEOPLE FAN-GIRL WITH ME!**

**And enjoy.**

**This Chapter is dedicated to every Finding Sky addict and reader who - like me - is estatic about the next series ( I know the girls are called Misty, Angel and Summer)**

**EJ x**

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The men roughly threw me and Will into the van. It was moving before the doors had even shut. Will. I crawled over to him. "Will?" I sat on my calves, hands cradling his face. I reached out to his mind. It was blank. Empty. "What have you done to him?!" I demanded. "TELL ME!"

"He unconscious," One man informed. "We're all savants here, except maybe the guy driving, one of us can put people to sleep as an extent to our main power."

I vaguely remember Will telling me about Victor doing something the same. I held my hair to my neck leaning down, my ear hovered above his mouth. He was breathing. That's a good sign, I moved my hand to his chest. I could feel the steady pace of his heartbeat.

I cleared my throat. "Where are we going? What do you want with us? And who are you?" I asked.

"Any more questions you would like to add?" One said sarcastically.

"Yes!"

"Shut up!" Another growled. "You know, everyone said, the Shadows are uncatchable. Dangerous. Our plan to set you guys up didn't work unfortunately so everyone was right about that. But we caught you." The man laughed, filled with pride, taunting me.

"Yea, you caught me." I informed. "But you didn't catch the Shadows." I reminded, the grin dropped a little. Black wisps of hair fell in his face, he roughly pushed them back. His eyes were dark and cold. He was good-looking in a villain kind of way. Well, everyone likes a hot villain. Except me.

"But we found you." He replied.

"Yea, a lot people have found us. But you haven't caught us. Just me. And if it weren't for Will, I would do a lot of stupid things that would end with bloody murder." He cleared his throat.

"That's how we found you. Through him." He pointed to Will. "And the boffin kid."

"Yves." The man started laughing.

"I think your parents got names mixed up. Because Jasper…Jasper is a boy's name, and Yves is a girl's name."

"Yes Jasper is a boy's name but Yves is as well. If you were as smart as you think you are…" A hand collided with my cheek.

"Shut up." The van braked hard on the ice, coming to a rough stop, I fell forward into the man. He grabbed my around my chest and yanked me out of the van, throwing me to the icy floor. I skidded a few metres away. He jumped out, slipping a little. I made it obvious I was laughing. "Get up." He ordered puling a gun from his waistband. I stood up. I ignored the cold slowly freezing my skin, or the burning from the ice on my arm. We were next to a snow covered field. He pointed me onto the deep snow covered field. I walked out, collecting snow with my dress and in my shoes. I pulled the jewel combs from my hair letting it drop around my body in a vain attempt to insulate my bare skin.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"We've come to the conclusion that whatever savant is saying it true, and that you will kill us should we frame you or something."

"Smart boy."

"So we're going to make you an offer." I folded my arms.

"An offer?"

He nodded. "You are to kill the Benedict's, all of them." I used all of my strength to suppress what I wanted to scream at him. That would show him weakness. Shadows aren't weak. "Or we will kill you family. So that's Greta and Martin." Oh no. "The moody one Chase, the little psychopath Eris and your younger brother, Sawyer." Wait…what?

"My brother?" I asked.

The men started laughing. "You have a half-brother. He's at one of our facilities so even if you hide your parents, Chase and little miss psychopath, we still have your brother, the only blood family you have left; innocent, alone, and soon to be dead."

"That's not fair I can't choose!" I yelled.

"It's simple, you're a killer and not so long ago you were planning on killing the Benedict's am I right?" He was. "We know one of the rules to being a Shadow is trust and another is 'don't hold back information'." He walked towards me until he was standing not an inch. "But if you tell anyone." He breathed quietly, curling a strand of my hair around his finger. "We'll kill everyone." He smiled, stroking my cheek. "Okay?" I turned my head, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "You have until February to choose. Kill the Benedict's or loose everyone. And we'll save Will till last, and kill him in front of you." He kissed my lips and let go of my chin. He turned and walked back to the van. "Come on, I wouldn't be a gentleman if I left you out here," He threw me a smile over his shoulder. "We'll take you back." I would have walked over the mountains and home, not giving the satisfaction, going with them basically told them I was helpless. And I was, I couldn't leave Will with these idiots.

I got back in the van and stayed close to Will. He tried to make conversation with me. I ignored him. The van stopped again. "Remember Jasper, don't tell anyone." The opened the doors and I got out, they left Will on the floor and drove off. We were round the side of the arts centre, still in the shadows like last time. Why didn't anyone see? Why didn't anyone come help me? As soon as they got a few metres away he started to wake up. Great what do I tell him?

He groaned. "Jazz?" He asked.

My attention zeroed in on Will. "Hey, are you alright?" I asked immediately, helping him sit up.

"Umm…yea I think so," He closed one eye, rubbing his head. "What happened?" He asked.

'Some guy just kidnapped us and now we have to kill your family, if we don't or if we tell anyone they'll kill everyone.' Renee repeated in my head. Luckily I don't think he heard.

"You said you could sense danger and then you passed out." I wasn't lying, I just wasn't telling him the whole truth.

"Oh," He looked around. "Weren't we…at the front…?"

"No." I shook my head. "We walked around remember?" Okay, now I feel even worse. I'm lying to my soulfinder, who never hesitates to take my statements as the truth.

I helped him up. "Shall we go back inside?" Someone must be looking for us.

"Yes. Aren't you cold?" He asked.

Freezing. "Not really." He still shrugged off his jacket and hung it around my shoulders. We walked round the front and Zed shot out the main entrance with Uriel on his six. They caught sight of us and skidded to a halt.

"There you are!" Zed yelled.

"We've been looking for you!" Uriel announced.

"We were just taking a walk, is everything alright?" I asked. "Where's my family?"

"At the hospital."

"Great. Who did Eris attack this time?" I asked.

"No it's your mom." Greta?

"What about her?" I asked urgently.

"Someone attacked her. They've taken her to the hospital." Zed informed.

"Oh my god." Will said. I stayed silent.

Was it them? Was she attacked because of me? But I haven't told anyone. Warning? Maybe. Are they telling me they won't hesitate? They will kill everyone I love? Greta. "How bad?"

Zed shrugged. "We don't know, Xav went with her and Martin in the ambulance. Trace and Yves drove your brother and sister to the hospital, Vick and the police are doing police things, were were waiting for you and Will," He informed.

"Was she awake when they took her…?" Zed shrugged again.

"I don't know." He admitted.

"Vick said we could use his car to get to the hospital, if you like?" Uriel offered. His voice calm and level. I wanted to slap him for not being worried but then I thought it best to have someone who's not worrying or panicking or already preparing a plan to hunt down and murder whoever attacked my mother.

"Yes," I nodded. "Yes, um…"

Uriel drove the car, Zed and Will came with. I sat in front, next to Uriel. I was trembling; I could see my hands shaking, they were cold and sweaty; my breathing was lost with my racing thoughts, I'd bitten of most of my nails and started picking at them. I couldn't help it. The sharp pain that I sometimes caused couldn't distract me. I needed distracting. My eyes were either staring at my hands on my lap or the road ahead. When Uriel pulled into the hospital parking lot I was out the door before he'd even stopped. Will followed me. I crashed through the doors, Yves, Xav and Trace sat in the waiting area, they looked up immediately.

"I've got it, go find her." Will said squeezing my hand.

"Area 7." Xav called.

I nodded in thanks, picking up the fabric of my dress so I could run faster. Nurses called after me but Will and Uriel took care of them before joining their brothers. I stopped outside room 7. I yanked back the curtain.

"Jasper." Eris sighed getting up and hugging me. I held her. Chase and Martin sat in chairs on either side. As I've said before, Chase is there when you need him. His face was full of concern and worry, Martin was beyond that. This was his soulfinder. Greta was awake with a bandage wrapped around her head and a few scratches on her face, her wrist was also bandaged. Her other hand was tight in Martin's.

Greta and I looked at each other. "Are you alright?" I asked, moving closer. Chase stood up and replaced my arm around Eris with his.

"I'm fine. The Benedict boy, Xavier, is very gifted." She smiled, holding out her spare hand to me. I took hers and she squeezed mine.

"Do you know…" I swallowed. "W-who?" I cleared my throat. She shook her head. "Vick's looking into it."

She smiled. "We're going to have to be nicer to them." She informed. "After this." Greta that's just made me feel even worse. I sucked in a sharp breath. She squeezed my hand reassuringly. Eris took my hand and we were all connected. The Shadows. The Johansson's. My family. Our family. When it came down to it, these were the ones who came first.

But I can't hurt them. The Benedict's. I wish we never moved here, wished we'd never met them in New York, damn it, if we had been more careful with the car; waited and gone to Reggie instead of the hospital that had Xavier Benedict working in. Walking into that restaurant that had all the Benedict's. Maybe if we hadn't of taunted Karla, Saul, Trace, Uriel and Vick in the parking lot, if I'd helped Eris out, maybe if I'd helped her, she wouldn't have jumped into the water. Will, Xav, Yves and Zed wouldn't have brought her back and we could've just left. Gotten away quickly instead of mocking them. If we hadn't have broken into their house. If... Maybe… Instead…

So many different paths from every point in the past. But we took this one. If we hadn't I wouldn't have met Will. My soulfinder. But I wouldn't be stuck in a time bomb. Every second that passed brought fate one step closer. Death.

Someone was going to die. But who?

"You know, when Uriel said you guys were at the hospital I immediately asked 'Who did Eris attack now' by complete accident." They laughed.

"I'm not bad." She defended.

Chase pulled up his sleeves to show the healing lightening scars. "Yea, this is only minor." He said sarcastically.

"Go suck up to Xav, maybe he'll heal them."

"Uh-uh, I'm not going to owe them anymore favours." He shook his head. He caught glimpse of Greta's frown. "But I'll be nice." He sighed.

"Good," Greta nodded. "Did you say Victor was here?" She asked.

"NO he's back at the Arts Centre." I replied.

"Damn, I was hoping he'd convince a doctor to let me go." She replied.

"We can leave when you want because you've already paid haven't you?" Chase asked.

"Yea, Jack made the transfer a little while back but…" Martin started.

"No buts!" She warned. "I banned you guys from doing jobs because I wanted to spend Christmas at home for once. I refuse to spend it in a hospital." Eris checked her water.

"It's 10:15." She announced.

Martin and Greta continued to argue with each other. "I'm going to tell the Benedict's to go home." I said to Chase and Eris mainly and slipped out the curtain. I got a few glances from patients and doctors looking me up down. The hem of my dress wet and dirty and my hair dishevelled.

I turned into the waiting area. The six Benedict's here were on their feet instantly. "She's fine." I smiled in relief. The relaxed as well. "Its Christmas eve guys, go home."

"She's right, Zed, Yves, Xav, go home."

"That's not what I said." I reminded.

"Are you going home?" Will asked.

I shrugged. "Martin and Greta are currently arguing about that." I smiled.

"Then I'll stay," He replied, sitting back down.

"Yea, someone attacked Greta, they could come back." Trace said, his cop instincts kicking in.

"Cool me too." Zed announced.

"But Zed if you stay you'll miss Santa Claus." Eris added coming to stand beside me. Zed frowned at her. She smiled. "You guys can go home. Because we are."

"Are you sure…" Uriel started.

"We're Shadows, we're not supposed to have records." Eris informed. "Staying in a hospital is dangerous for us. Who knows, someone could be trying to track us." She shrugged oblivious to the fact that they'd already found us. "It'd be stupid to stay any longer."


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey there! How's you're day been? I've had a tetanus/polio/Diphtheria vaccination and can no longer feel my arm. But hey, typing with one hand is easy. **

**To the mysterious 'Guest' review-er who brightened my day with her simple comment, thank you so much. And to Sarah14, should you be reading this, I'm not revealing anything but if you wouldn't mind telling me what made you think of that? Like review or make an account and send me a message, I don't mind. **

**Anyway, here ya go.**

* * *

Greta managed to get out of the hospital a few hours before dawn on Christmas morning; the Benedict's stayed until we left and I'm pretty sure at least one of them followed us home. Only when they should stay away from me, do they decide to become our over-protective guardians.

Of course! It can't be that easy, life likes to mess with people. Despite having recently been attacked Greta continued on as normal. Busied herself with making breakfast whilst she sent us to change into comfort clothing.

My room was colder than usual. We often had the temperature down low, as an illusion to keep all the memories of our pasts frozen, like warming the house would bring back reminders of life before the institution. Life before the shadows. And it wouldn't be a heart-warming, tear jerking experience. Quite the opposite. I eventually undid the tight zip at the side of the dress, my achy body protesting with each movement, my hands refusing to co-operate with my brain. I'd gone longer without sleep but I now had emotions and anxiety added to the mix, and I could feel I was on the brink of a nuclear meltdown. I slipped into my soft pyjamas, hanging the blue dress over the towel-rails in the bathroom. Inviting myself into Eris's room as she changed into a long sleeved lilac seifuku and tights.

"I haven't seen you wearing one of them in a while." I commented.

She tugged down her hair that had been placed in a tucked in French braid at the hospital, leaving the brown curls to frame her heart-shaped face. "I like them. So I thought I might start wearing them again."

I shook my head, gathering up her duvet. "You look like a Japanese school girl."

"Well they do wear them as uniform in Japan, so that makes some sense." She smiled. "What's wrong with yours?" She asked, referring to the duvet.

"Mine hasn't got a feather filling." I replied and marched out of her room.

Welcomed back to the ground floor of our house by a mouth-watering smell of baking pastries. I dumped the duvet down on one of the sofas and crawled under it, Eris by my side.

"Nobody can make and cook something that quick." I said when Greta brought in a plate of croissants.

She put her hands on her hips. "They're ready made ones, part backed so you just shove 'em in the over for a few minutes."

"Oh." I nodded through a mouthful of pastry. Greta left again as Chase slumped in a few minutes later, collapsing into a chair. Martin was sat at the desk scribbling away until Greta returned holding three little boxes. "You didn't."

"I did." Greta nodded. "We did." She corrected smiling at Martin. She handed me a narrow navy box with a light blue ribbon bow. I snapped it open, everyone's eyes watching me. On the smooth velvet, hung on a small silver chain was a flat silver heart locket. I draped the silky chain over my fingers looking at the swirling design on the front before opening it.

One side had my name and birthday. '_Jasper Rebekah Johansson. April 22__nd__' _Engraved on the other side, in the same swirly writing was the one quote I'd always had, the only thing that was good before the institution. My mother.

"To die would be an awfully big adventure. J.M. Barrie." I read aloud. I smiled up at Greta and now Martin, pulling them both into a hug. "Thank you."

Greta rubbed my back but Martin detached himself quickly, not really into touchy-feely moments with anyone other than Greta. "You're very welcome."

Eris got a charm bracelet, a small heart padlock joined the two ends together and engraved on that was '_Eris Freja Johansson. March 13__th__'. _One of her charms was a small plaque with the quote: I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds.

Chase didn't have a quote on his but a sleek watch with his name and birthday. "Can we do Christmas again next year?" Eris asked. "I liked it."

"I guess so." Greta replied. I felt a big hole rip through my torso. I didn't want to think of next year when my mind couldn't get past February.

It's amazing how a single thought can ruin an entire existence. Every time Chase made an unhelpful comment, when Greta went into mother-hen mode or Martin started us all in laughter, or hearing Eris narrate the Thunderbirds movie from memory of all things. It widened the gaping hole spitting on my future. The necklace given to me out of love felt heavy around my neck; though I daren't remove it, it would give away that something was wrong.

Greta was the one I was most worried about. The ability to read minds, although I had strong shields there was no way of telling if she was reading every thought that crossed my mind. I knew I'd eventually tell someone about the event of last night. But I wouldn't ruin the first Christmas in years for everyone else.

Christmas went as quickly as it came. I'd successfully avoided Will and the Benedict's the days following. We were given an invitation to go to theirs for a New Years Eve party but Martin refused, thank god, not wanting to risk anything.

But there was only so long I could avoid my soulfinder. January 3rd. 29 days till February.

Will and Yves had pitched up. Yves with the excuse of an extra credit essay that Eris had no intention of doing. Will wanted to see me. I'd been so preoccupied with hiding my thoughts from greta, I'd forgotten my own soulfinder was going to pick it up as well.

He laid on my bed, on his side propped up by his elbow staring at me. I was sat cross legged, picking at the sequins on the pillow on my lap.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

"Just fine, why wouldn't it be?" I replied.

"You've been avoiding me, acting strangely." I jerked an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I've been…." I started. "Preoccupied."

"With what?" Wow this boy is insistent.

What is the one thing he can't push any further in? Oh yes. "Shadow things. If I told upi, I'd have to kill you."

Will opened his mouth but was interrupted by a loud bang. I ducked, knowing Chase, Greta and Martin had done the same. It was a gunshot. Then I realized who it was.

"What was that?!" Will asked, jumping to the window.

"That would be my sister, teaching your brother to shoot." He looked down at Yves and Eris. Eris standing in the circle of Yves arms, guiding him into the right posture to shoot straight.

"Aim. Breathe. Pull the trigger." The sound of a car backfiring cracked in the air. They stumbled backward.

Eris laughed and Yves's frustration and poor aim. "It's really hard."

"It is." She took the lethal weapon off him and showed him again, demonstrating herself. "Feet shoulders length apart, with the foot opposite to your dominant hand a step in front," She did what she was saying. "Front sight. Aim. Fire." On the word the crack of a gun echoed again and the clash of a tin can clattering to the floor.

Will scratched his head. "I thought they were doing homework."

"I want to know where she got the gun." I called walking out. By the time we got outside, both of them where lying on the floor. I loomed over her head. Feet on either side. "The gun, where did it come from."

She grinned at me. "Our brother."

"Of course." I muttered. "Okay and being on the floor…?"

"He has a really poor sense of balance," Eris smiled.

"Right, and why are you teaching him to shoot in the first place?"

"Umm…" Eris and Yves exchanged a look. "We finished our homework."

"Get up." I sighed picking up the gun. Eris got up herself, Will helped Yves up.

Chase walked out laughing. "Don't ruin the fun." He called.

I frowned at him. "Fun?" He was flipping a rubix cube in his hands. "You've got Eris teaching a Benedict how to shoot. I can name a few members of the family that aren't going to be too pleased, Karla at the top of that!"

"He wasn't going to tell anyone." Eris said.

"He wouldn't have to," Chase laughed. "I think they heard you shooting."

"On the bright side Yves can shoot at an attacker now. Or at least shoot and scare his attacker giving him time to run." Eris grinned, Will ruffled his brother's hair. I lost my frown, knowing that someone would come for him. If not someone.

Me.

"Wanna see something life-threatening cool?" Chase asked. Yves nodded, Will hesitating. Chase through the rubix cube at Eris. She started down the garden. "Keep training and you'll be able to do this. And not kill anyone."

Eris stood against the tree balancing the rubix cube on her head. "You're not going to…" Chase aimed right at her. He exhaled in alarm. "She doesn't seem even the slightest bit worried." Will said.

"She not." I replied, sitting down on the picnic bench that was for unknown reasons why in our backyard.

"But what if he misses, surely she's…" Yves started.

"Want to know the first thing about being a Shadow?" Chase asked.

"Okay…" They said, eyes glued to Eris who whispering a song that wasn't even in English.

"Trust." He pulled the trigger. Yves and Will held their breaths as it shot through the air, rocketing towards Eris. It hit the rubix cube and shattered into little pieces. Will sighed in relief whilst Yves looked like he could pass out. Chase turned to Yves flipping the gun over so he held onto the barrel. "Wanna go?" He offered.

Eris and I were immediately on alert. "NO!"

"But what about all that trusting to be a shadow?" Will challenged.

"We've had years of training to shoot straight. Yves picked up his first gun not ten minutes ago!" I reminded. Yves inspected the gun in his hands.

"I think I'll pass, I like Eris too much to shoot at her head." We all went silent, giving him 'the look'. Yves hadn't noticed we were all staring at him till he looked up and realised what he said. "No, not like that, I mean she's the only one of you guys I like to hang out with."

"Excuse me?" I asked. Will fell apart laughing whilst Chase and I folded our arms.

"No it's I like her a bit more than the rest of you…"

"So you do like me." Eris called.

"Um…"

Will clapped his hand on Yves shoulders. "You're digging yourself into a hole you won't be able to get out of."

"That's because it will be his grave." Chase said, taking the gun off Yves and placing it on a table.

"Aw, don't be so harsh…" She defended looking at Chase, climbing up the tree. "…he likes me. The least you can do is dig it for him."

A shot cracked through the air, I dived on Will and Chase grabbed Yves dragging him down. More rang out in the air, from a machine gun; not a hand gun.

We laid in the snow, hands on our head Chase and I shielding Yves and Will. We daren't move even after it had fallen silent. There was crunching in the snow as someone approached us.

"Its clear guys, you can get up now." We all looked up at Eris, standing between the four of us in a grey seifuku. She would've been sat in the tree the entire time. "They've gone; went towards town." So away from the Benedict's. "Only idiotic sharpies come after us, so that was just a warning."

"Sharpies?" Will asked.

"Sharp-shooters." We replied. Greta and Martin came out of the house.

"They've gone." I called. Renee added a little comment, which I replied cursively too.

"Boys, Greta'll drive you home." Martin announced. "You three, in the house! Upstairs! Stay there!" We nodded once and walked into the house single file. Will and Yves also, not wanting to get on Martin's bad side.

"Are you alright?" I asked Will on the porch, Yves following Greta to the car.

He sighed, folding me into his arms and resting his forehead against mine. "Yea, do I even need to ask how you are?"

I hate lying to him. "I'm fine." Was all I said when actually I wanted to tell someone what the heck was going on.

"Okay then." He pressed his lips to mine, urgently, like he was reassuring himself more than me.

"Mr Benedict," Martin interrupted standing right beside us. "Usually young couples don't do that sort of thing on the parents front porch," He said. "Even if your soulfinders, that is from now on a rule here. NO kissing on the front porch."

"Would I be in trouble if I went all teenager tantrum on you right now?" I asked.

He nodded. "More so than ever before." I returned his nod.

"Okay then well…" I started to Will to give him a quick goodbye but then remembered what Martin had just said. Why do I forget things so easily? I bet Renee secretly puts things in the trash bin. "bye." I said kind of awkwardly, Martin's eyes burning a hole as they stared into the back of my head, sending shivers beneath my skin.

"Bye." Will kissed my cheek before joining his brother in the car.

I turned on my heels to Martin who grinned amused at me. "Seriously?"

"I'm a dad, I have to re-enforce rules." He said.

"Did you have to do it in front of him?" I called starting up the stairs.

"You promised not to go teenager on me." I went down a few steps and looked around the wall.

"As long as you don't go all bossy dad on me!" He laughed as I ran noisily up the two flights of stairs.

I collided into the door to my room halting at the threshold. I had a full view of the forest in which someone took shots at my soulfinder. My family. Yves. And Myself.

I had to tell someone, then I would feel a little better. And more on top of the game, I had another person to help me should things get sour quickly.

'But he told you not to tell anyone' Renee commented.

'I don't care. I just have to hope he was threatening without proof. That he can't know if he told me.' I turned around and stormed up to Eris's room. Both of them were in there. They looked up at me, Chase on the bed, Eris on her window seat.

"Jazz?" Chase asked.

"Everything alright?" Eris asked, tearing her eyes away from the pages of her book.

"No." Eris's book went down and Chase sat up. "There is something I need to tell you guys." I closed the door.

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**Short chapter I know but it was a really dramatic ending so I decided to end it there. Review and make my day! Please!**


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